DRC and Rwanda resume Geneva talks as eastern Congo conflict persists

September 16, 2026 at 06:42 AM2 min

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have resumed negotiations in Geneva more than a year after signing an agreement to end their confrontation. The talks focus on the FDLR armed group, Rwanda's military presence, and M23's control of eastern Congo. Kinshasa is simultaneously pursuing a separate dialogue with the political alliance backing M23.

Key Facts

The DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement intended to end their confrontation more than a year ago.
M23 fighters captured the city of Goma in January 2025.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame described the agreement on the FDLR as "insufficient" at the end of last month.
Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said Kinshasa is meeting its commitments while accusing Kigali of maintaining "expansionist ambitions" in eastern DRC.

Geneva Negotiations

The DRC and Rwanda are back at the negotiating table in Geneva more than a year after signing an agreement intended to end their confrontation. The dispute over the FDLR, Rwanda's military presence in Congolese territory, and M23's control of large parts of the east is now difficult to separate. While the DRC and Rwanda negotiate in Geneva, Kinshasa is pursuing a separate dialogue with the political alliance backing M23. The talks are separate, but the conflicts they are trying to contain are not.

FDLR Dispute

At the heart of the dispute is the FDLR, an armed group that emerged from the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Kigali has long regarded the group's presence near Rwanda's border as a security threat. Under the Washington framework, Kinshasa agreed to a process aimed at neutralising the FDLR, and the Congolese government says that process, including demobilisation measures, is under way. Rwandan President Paul Kagame described the agreement on the FDLR as "insufficient" in remarks at the end of last month. Patrick Muyaya, the Congolese minister of information and government spokesperson, rejected that assessment, saying Kinshasa is meeting its commitments while accusing Kigali of maintaining "expansionist ambitions" in eastern DRC.

M23 Role

M23 is not a party to the Washington agreement, but it is central to the conflict that the agreement is supposed to help contain. In Goma, where M23 fighters captured the city in January 2025, the latest round of diplomacy is being judged against what has happened since. For Josue Akuzwe Walayi, a pro-democracy activist speaking from Kinshasa, another round of talks will mean little unless people begin to see a change in their daily lives. "People are still waiting for the real benefits of peace that have been trumpeted for over a year. Fields continue to be ravaged in the east, and further displacement is still being reported," he told Al Jazeera.