Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reached a preliminary peace agreement through their respective technical teams, according to a joint announcement made Wednesday by the two nations and the United States. The draft accord, which aims to address continued violence in eastern Congo, is expected to be formally signed next week.
The proposed agreement represents a potential breakthrough in U.S.-brokered negotiations under President Donald Trump’s administration, which seeks to end hostilities in the mineral-rich region and unlock significant Western investment. Eastern Congo is home to vast reserves of tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium—resources vital to global technology and energy supply chains.
The agreement, which emerged after three days of negotiations, outlines key provisions regarding the respect for territorial integrity, cessation of hostilities, and the disarmament, disengagement, and conditional integration of non-state armed factions.
According to the joint statement, the deal also includes terms for
“the establishment of a joint security mechanism,”
incorporating a proposal initially discussed under Angolan mediation last year.
The official signing ceremony is scheduled for June 27 at the ministerial level.
This is not the first time the two countries have reached consensus through mediation. Rwandan and Congolese officials previously agreed twice in 2023—under the auspices of Angola—on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and coordinated action against the Rwandan Hutu rebel group FDLR. However, both efforts faltered after ministers from the two nations failed to endorse the terms.
Angola formally withdrew from its mediating role in March 2024, following repeated unsuccessful attempts to broker a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict, which has been exacerbated by a Rwanda-backed rebel offensive in eastern Congo.
This year, violence escalated further as M23 rebels, reportedly supported by Rwanda, seized control of two of eastern Congo’s largest cities, sparking fears of a broader regional war.
Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Kigali of supporting the M23 rebel group through the supply of troops and weapons.
Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations, stating that its military presence is solely for self-defense against
“Congo’s army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed around 1 million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis.”
