MONTREUX — The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and M23 rebels signed a memorandum of understanding on Saturday establishing a ceasefire monitoring mechanism to conduct surveillance, monitoring, verification, and reporting on the implementation of a permanent ceasefire. The agreement, announced in a joint statement shared by the United States Department of State, followed five days of talks in Switzerland.

Under the measures outlined in the joint statement, the two sides agreed to ease aid deliveries, release prisoners within 10 days, and refrain from any action that would undermine the delivery of humanitarian assistance within the territories impacted by the conflict. They also pledged not to target civilians and to facilitate medical care for the wounded and sick.

The joint statement noted progress on a protocol for humanitarian access and judicial protections. The latest round of talks in Montreux included representatives from Qatar, the United States, Switzerland, the African Union Commission, and Togo serving as the African Union mediator.

M23 rebels, who are backed by Rwanda, have seized territory in eastern DRC since 2021. Fighting between the two sides has continued, most recently reaching the highland areas of South Kivu.

Human Rights Watch accused the Congolese government and M23 of blocking aid deliveries and stopping civilians from fleeing the South Kivu highlands. Clementine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at Human Rights Watch, said civilians in South Kivu's highlands are facing a dire humanitarian crisis and live in fear of abuses by all parties.

The memorandum signed Saturday represents the latest diplomatic step in a conflict that has drawn involvement from regional and international parties. Qatar, the United States, Switzerland, the African Union Commission, and Togo all participated in the Montreux talks, underscoring the broad international engagement in efforts to end the fighting in eastern DRC.