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2h ago

DR Congo and M23 Launch First Ceasefire Monitors Under Roadmap

It tests a new international monitoring mechanism meant to verify violations to push Doha talks toward a negotiated settlement.

A suspected Burundian military vehicle destroyed during renewed clashes between Alliance Fleuve Congo AFC/M23 and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), sits along the National Road No. 5 in Luvungi, a settlement north of Uvira; South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo December 13, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
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The conflict has seen M23 take control of parts of eastern DRC since 2025, and repeated attempts to negotiate an end to the fighting have been unsuccessful

Overview

  • The Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus, known as EJVM+, deployed its first field verification mission to Minembwe on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, to observe compliance with the Doha ceasefire.
  • Delegates meeting in Switzerland from Aug. 17–21 agreed a sequenced roadmap and set up the EJVM+ secretariat with a single, standard method for reporting alleged ceasefire breaches.
  • Earlier this month the DRC handed over 15 prisoners to the AFC/M23 in a Red Cross-facilitated transfer as one of the first confidence-building steps under the Doha framework.
  • Fighting has continued on the ground and both sides trade accusations of shelling, drone strikes and rights abuses, making verification urgent and politically contested.
  • If EJVM+ produces timely, transparent reports that lead to enforced responses, the mechanism could slow fighting and open space for talks; if it fails to act credibly the roadmap risks stalling and civilians will keep bearing the cost.