DR Congo, AFC/M23 group agree on roadmap for peace negotiations after Swiss talks

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 armed group have agreed on a roadmap for peace talks, according to a joint statement published Sunday by Switzerland after hosting negotiations. The eastern DRC has been riven by decades of conflict, with multiple armed groups fighting over its mineral-rich territory, including the AFC/M23, which seized swathes of the region last year. Watch moreDR Congo: Fighting between army and M23 rebels leave civilians at breaking point The two sides signed a US-brokered peace agreement late last year in the Qatari capital Doha, but fighting has continued. Following a new round of talks held in Switzerland last week, the two sides and their mediators said they had staked out a path forward. "The Parties developed a roadmap setting out sequenced steps and timelines for negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement, and committed to flexibility and creativity within the existing structure" of that agreement, the statement said. "They reaffirmed their commitment to pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution through the implementation of the Framework Agreement," it added. Read moreDR Congo and M23 rebel group sign a framework agreement for a peace deal in Qatar The talks, held behind closed doors from August 17 to August 21, also included representatives from the United States, Qatar, Switzerland, the African Union Commission and Togo, serving as African Union mediator. The two sides said they had "agreed on the importance of a standardised method for reporting allegations of ceasefire violations". A first ceasefire verification mission is due in Minembwe, in DRC's South Kivu province, on Monday, according to the statement. The sides had also agreed to establish a "mechanism tasked with reviewing progress and addressing challenges in implementation of obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement", it said. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)