The Government of Rwanda has called on the United States to ensure strict enforcement of the recently signed peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), warning that previous deals were repeatedly violated mainly by Congo.
Speaking shortly after the agreement was signed in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2025, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, emphasized that for lasting peace to be achieved in the region, international partners particularly the U.S. must push for accountability and follow-through.
“There have been nearly ten agreements signed on the issue of conflict in eastern Congo, but only a few were implemented or rather, it’s as if none were implemented at all,” said Nduhungirehe.
He explained that this track record prompted Rwanda to make a clear request to the U.S. and other mediators:
“For us, as Rwanda, because we know very well that the Democratic Republic of Congo does not usually honor agreements, we told the United States and other mediators, ‘Today we are signing, that’s good, our people in the region are happy, the whole world is happy but please, there must be pressure to ensure this agreement is respected.’ Let it not be like the previous ones signed in past years that were never implemented mainly because the DRC did not honor them.”
The Washington agreement commits both nations to respecting each other’s sovereignty. Crucially, it requires the DRC to sever ties with the FDLR, a militia group blamed for destabilizing Rwanda, and to work collaboratively with Kigali to dismantle it.
Ambassador Nduhungirehe also cited the case of M23, a rebel group whose name stems from a March 23, 2009 peace deal that was never honored by the Congolese government.
Despite past setbacks, the Minister expressed hope that the new agreement would mark a turning point, thanks to new mechanisms for accountability.
“This time we are committed to establishing a body responsible for implementing the CONOPS (Concept of Operations) a joint Rwanda-Congo security mechanism that must be put in place within 30 days of signing the agreement,” he said.
President Paul Kagame also weighed in last week, describing the deal as a rare opportunity to resolve long-standing issues in eastern Congo, Rwanda is ready to implement everything it agreed to.
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