DRC-Rwanda: Can Geneva talks break the cycle of war in eastern Congo?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have returned to Geneva for talks on implementing a Washington peace framework meant to ease tensions between the two neighbours. The discussions come as fighting and displacement continue in eastern Congo, where M23 controls large parts of the region and the conflict remains active despite earlier diplomacy.

According to the report, the main sticking points remain the presence of the FDLR, Rwanda’s security concerns near its border, and Kinshasa’s accusations that Kigali is violating Congolese sovereignty. Congolese officials say they are carrying out demobilisation steps under the agreement, while Rwanda says the measures are not enough. The article also notes that M23 is not directly part of the Geneva track, even though its battlefield gains in places including Goma and Bukavu shape the wider negotiations.

From Goma, residents and civil society figures quoted by Al Jazeera said they are judging the talks by whether daily life improves, including less violence, displacement and loss of farmland and livelihoods. The article says separate peace efforts are also under way with the political alliance linked to M23, underlining how intertwined the disputes remain.

Al Jazeera frames Geneva as a test of whether the parties can produce concrete and verifiable steps, but says the talks are unlikely to settle the wider eastern Congo conflict on their own.