The Democratic Republic of Congo authorities and the Rwanda-backed M23 insurgent group have agreed a roadmap for peace talks.

In a joint assertion after 5 days of talks in Switzerland, they said they had pledged to “pursue negotiations towards comprehensive peace and conflict resolution” and set up a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire.

The roadmap units out a timeline for talks under a US-brokered peace framework which they signed in 2025 – only for preventing to then proceed in japanese DR Congo, which has been engulfed in battle for many years.

But disagreements stay over points including sanctions against M23, the launch of detainees and the timing of political reforms.

The newest negotiations were attended by M23, the authorities of DR Congo, Qatar, the US, the Republic of Togo, the African Union Commission and host Switzerland.

“The parties agreed to establish a mechanism tasked with reviewing progress and addressing challenges in implementation of obligations and commitments under the Doha Framework Agreement,” the assertion added, referring to the 2025 deal.

They developed “sequenced steps and timelines” while also committing to “flexibility and creativity”, the assertion said.

They also agreed to implement a mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations. Its secretariat has been established and the first verification mission is due to take place on Monday in Minembwe, an space of South Kivu affected by preventing.

Fighting has continued in North and South Kivu despite repeated ceasefire commitments, with the authorities and M23 accusing each other of violations.