The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 group have restarted peace talks in Doha, mediator Qatar said, following reports of violence in the DRC's conflict-torn east.

"We've received the two parties here in Doha from the DRC and the M23 to discuss the implementation of a previous agreement,” Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

The DRC government and the M23 inked a ceasefire agreement in Doha in July aimed at leading to a permanent end to the fighting that has devastated the country's mineral-rich east.

Under the terms of the deal, the parties were to begin peace talks on August 8 and finalise an agreement by August 18, but both deadlines have expired.

Ansari said the current talks "included the discussions over finding a mechanism of monitoring the ceasefire, alongside an exchange of prisoners and detainees".

"Both parties are still in Doha discussing these issues," he said, adding talks were coordinated with the United States and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Separate peace agreement

The July deal followed an earlier, separate peace agreement between the DRC and Rwandan governments inked in Washington.

The M23 had insisted on seeking its own ceasefire deal with Kinshasa, saying the DRC-Rwanda deal signed in June left out issues that still needed to be addressed.

Previous ceasefire agreements for eastern DRC have collapsed, and earlier this month, security sources said fighting had broken out between the DRC army and the M23 despite the truce commitment.

Rights groups have also highlighted abuses in DRC, with Human Rights Watch last week alleging M23 rebels had carried out ethnically targeted "mass killings".

Neighbouring Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say the Rwandan army played a "critical" role in the group's offensive, including combat operations.