DRC and Rwanda resume Geneva talks as fighting continues in eastern Congo
Kinshasa and Kigali remain divided over the FDLR, Rwanda’s military presence and M23’s control of territory, while a separate Qatar-led process addresses the AFC-M23 alliance.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have resumed negotiations in Geneva, more than a year after signing an agreement intended to end their confrontation. Fighting has continued in North and South Kivu, where M23 controls large areas, according to Al Jazeera.
The talks centre on the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, Rwanda’s military presence in Congolese territory and the DRC’s sovereignty. Kigali says the DRC must do more to neutralise the FDLR, which emerged partly from groups that fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Kinshasa says its demobilisation process is under way.
The two governments remain divided over both the scale of the threat and how it should be addressed. Rwanda regards armed groups hostile to it operating from Congolese territory as a security concern, while the DRC argues that this cannot justify foreign forces on its soil. Rwanda rejects accusations that it is pursuing territorial expansion.
M23 captured Goma in January 2025 and later took Bukavu, according to the report. The group operates under the political umbrella of the Congo River Alliance, which is involved in a separate Qatar-led dialogue with Kinshasa. The Geneva process addresses the DRC-Rwanda confrontation, while the Qatar process concerns the Congolese government’s dispute with the AFC-M23 alliance.
The separate negotiations remain linked on the ground. M23’s territorial control affects Kinshasa’s calculations, while military operations and Rwanda’s position towards M23 shape the security environment along the border. Civilians continue to face displacement, violence and loss of access to land and livelihoods.
AFC-M23 has accused the DRC army of attacking populated areas and violating a ceasefire. It also said on 27 August that an aircraft carrying humanitarian aid had been shot down by the DRC army; the army declined to comment. The allegations could not be independently verified, leaving verification central to any durable ceasefire.
The Geneva talks will not by themselves settle M23’s position or end the wider conflict. Their significance will depend on whether they produce concrete, implementable and verifiable commitments on the FDLR, Rwanda’s military presence and Congolese sovereignty.
