Rwanda and DRC Initial Draft Peace Deal in U.S.-Backed Effort to End Eastern Congo Conflict

 Kigali/Kinshasa/Washington – Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have initialed a draft peace agreement aimed at ending the long-standing conflict in eastern Congo, according to a joint statement released on Wednesday by the two governments and the United States.

The provisional agreement, which follows three days of high-level negotiations, is expected to be formally signed on June 27. The breakthrough comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts led by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to stabilize one of Africa’s most volatile regions and unlock billions of dollars in Western investment. Eastern Congo is home to vast mineral reserves, including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium—resources vital to global technology and energy industries.

According to the joint statement, the draft agreement affirms both nations’ commitment to territorial integrity and includes provisions prohibiting hostilities, as well as measures for the disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups.

A key component of the agreement is the creation of a joint security mechanism, building upon proposals previously discussed under Angolan mediation. The new arrangement is expected to facilitate coordinated action against armed groups destabilizing the region, including the Rwandan Hutu militia known as the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda).

Although Rwandan and Congolese technical teams reached similar understandings under Angola’s facilitation last year—focusing on the withdrawal of Rwandan forces and joint operations against FDLR—those agreements failed to receive ministerial approval, stalling the peace process.

Angola officially withdrew from its mediating role in March, following multiple unsuccessful attempts to resolve the deteriorating security situation. The renewed push for peace comes after a sharp escalation in fighting earlier this year, with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group seizing control of major cities in eastern Congo, heightening fears of a broader regional war.

The Congolese government continues to accuse Rwanda of directly supporting the M23 rebels with troops and weapons—a charge Rwanda consistently denies. Kigali maintains that its forces are acting in self-defense against Congolese military operations and Hutu militia elements allegedly linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which claimed the lives of nearly 1 million people, primarily ethnic Tutsis.

As the region stands at a crossroads, the upcoming signing of the draft agreement offers a potential turning point in a decades-long conflict that has displaced millions and stalled development across one of the most resource-rich but unstable corners of the African continent.