By Agencies, Washington
DR Congo and Rwanda have agreed to a provisional deal to end fighting in eastern Congo in a pact brokered by the US and Qatar.
The agreement, negotiated in Washington, will be signed by ministers on Friday this week.
The pact includes commitments on disarmament, territorial integrity, the integration of non-state armed groups, and the return of refugees and humanitarian access in a region where fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people this year.
Eastern Congo has been a site of conflict for decades, with various armed groups battling for access to valuable natural resources, such as coltan and cobalt.
But fighting escalated at the start of the year when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured Goma, the largest city in the area. Rwanda denies supporting M23, despite evidence from the United Nations and others.
The White House’s senior advisor for Africa Massad Boulos has focused on trying to reach an agreement to bring peace and also enable US-backed mining companies and investors to gain access to mineral supply chains that have been dominated by Chinese players over the last two decades.
Mid last week, technical teams from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda initialed the text of the Peace Agreement, witnessed by US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, in preparation for the Ministerial signing of the Peace Agreement on June 27, 2025, to be witnessed by US. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Building on the Declaration of Principles signed on April 25, 2025, the Agreement was developed over three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interest,” reads a joint statement on the peace talks between the two countries. “The Agreement includes provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups; establishment of a Joint Security Coordination Mechanism that incorporates the CONOPS of October 31, 2024; facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as humanitarian access; and a regional economic integration framework,” it adds.
