Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a new peace accord in Washington, a move aimed at ending decades of conflict between the neighboring countries while also positioning the United States for enhanced access to the region’s valuable minerals.
The agreement calls for the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of various armed factions operating in eastern DR Congo.
While comprehensive details remain limited, and past peace efforts have repeatedly faltered, both US and Congolese leaders are hailing this latest development as a monumental achievement.
“Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity,” US President Donald Trump declared on Friday.
Two months prior, on April 25, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe and DR Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, signed a Declaration of Principles in the Treaty Room at the State Department in Washington, D.C.
President Trump, surrounded by Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary Rubio, and diplomats from both African nations during a ceremony in the Oval Office, lauded the peace deal as “a glorious triumph.”
“This is a tremendous breakthrough,” Trump added, just moments before appending his signature to the agreement already endorsed by Rwandan and Congolese delegates.
The official signing by the two foreign ministers took place at the US State Department, representing a diplomatic highlight for both countries.
Ahead of the event, President Félix Tshisekedi’s office released a statement proclaiming it as “another diplomatic success for President Félix Tshisekedi – certainly the most important in over 30 years.”
Though discussions have taken place about a joint visit by Presidents Tshisekedi and Kagame to Washington to meet with Trump, no date has yet been confirmed.
Earlier this year, as tensions reached new heights, Qatar reportedly played a key role in mediation efforts. According to a diplomat familiar with the talks, Qatari envoys were dispatched to both Kigali and Kinshasa to encourage de-escalation.
That led to a pivotal meeting in Doha between the two leaders and the creation of a US-backed joint committee.
The renewed hostilities intensified when M23 rebels seized swathes of eastern DR Congo, including major cities like Goma and Bukavu, as well as two regional airports. Thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced as a result of the rebel surge.
In the wake of these losses, Kinshasa is believed to have turned to Washington for support, offering access to strategic mineral deposits in exchange for security backing. Eastern DR Congo is known for its wealth in resources like coltan, critical to electronics manufacturing worldwide.
Despite consistent accusations, Rwanda continues to deny any support for the M23 rebels. It claims its military presence is defensive, aimed at countering threats from the FDLR, a group composed largely of ethnic Hutus with links to the 1994 genocide.
Kigali remains deeply concerned about the FDLR’s presence and accuses Kinshasa of backing the militia, an allegation the Congolese government denies.
When preliminary information about the peace deal emerged last week, official statements mentioned “provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities” but failed to provide concrete details.
The agreement also included language around the “facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.”
Reuters reported that Congolese negotiators initially pushed for an immediate pullout of Rwandan troops. However, Rwanda, which reportedly has at least 7,000 soldiers deployed in eastern DR Congo – rejected that demand.
In a strongly worded statement issued just a day before the agreement was signed, Foreign Minister Nduhungirehe condemned “the leak of a draft peace agreement,” emphasizing Rwanda’s expectation that “the other parties respect the confidentiality of the discussions.”
Nduhungirehe further stressed that “the words ‘Rwanda Defense Force’, ‘Rwandan troops’ or ‘withdrawal’ are nowhere to be seen in the document.”
Tshisekedi’s office, responding just hours before the ceremony, maintained that the deal “does indeed provide for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops… [but] preferred the term disengagement to withdrawal simply because ‘disengagement’ is more comprehensive.”
Until the full contents of the agreement are released, numerous key issues remain unresolved.
Speaking to Reuters before the signing, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo indicated that any “lifting of defensive measures in our border area” would depend on the “neutralisation” of the FDLR.
Ironically, the M23 group at the center of today’s conflict was born from a peace pact signed 16 years ago, one that failed to ensure the rebels’ full demobilisation.
Just last year, under Angolan mediation, technical teams from both DR Congo and Rwanda agreed on troop withdrawals and joint actions against the FDLR.
Yet political leaders from both sides failed to endorse the accord, and Angola eventually withdrew as mediator in March.
As the region watches closely, the fate of this new peace initiative remains uncertain.
