The Government of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the support of the United States of America, have signed a peace agreement that includes provisions aimed at bringing peace to eastern DRC. These include respecting each country’s sovereignty.
This long-awaited agreement was signed on Friday, June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C., USA.
On behalf of the Government of Rwanda, the agreement was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador. Olivier Nduhungirehe, while on behalf of the DRC, it was signed by his counterpart Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, with the facilitation of their U.S. counterpart, Marco Antonio Rubio.
The Special Advisor to President Donald Trump on Africa, Massad Boulos, outlined the main points included in the agreement, among them that the two countries must “respect each other’s sovereignty.”
It also includes the obligation to “cease hostilities” and “suspend or withdraw troops from operations.”
Furthermore, there is a provision regarding armed groups that have long been a source of instability, such as the FDLR, which threatens Rwanda’s security and has been a root cause of the crisis in Congo. One clause in the agreement states there must be “disarmament and reintegration of non-state armed groups,” to be carried out under regulated procedures.
When President Donald Trump welcomed the Foreign Affairs Ministers of both countries, Ambassador. Olivier Nduhungirehe stated that the clause concerning the eradication of the FDLR is “not new, as it has been agreed upon in various past summits; what remains is to implement it.”
The peace agreement also calls for the two countries to “establish a joint mechanism to monitor security” and to ease and support the repatriation of refugees who fled to the DRC, as well as internally displaced persons returning to their homes.
The agreement contains several familiar provisions, except for a new one that requires the countries to “accept regional cooperation and economic partnership.”
This agreement was signed while the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is also holding separate talks with the AFC/M23 coalition, with Qatar mediating.
The Rwandan Foreign Minister, Ambassador. Olivier Nduhungirehe, said this peace agreement would go hand in hand with outcomes from those ongoing talks.
On the DRC side, Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner said her country is committed to finding a solution to the problems in the eastern region and that the signed peace deal “should not remain only in our documents and words, but must be reflected in our actions. I would say this is where the real work begins.”
The U.S. Government, during the initial stages of these talks between Rwanda and the DRC, frequently stated that President Trump wants to work with the region where these two countries are located, and that this cannot happen without peace.
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