The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement brokered by the Trump administration that aims to end decades of bloody conflict.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a peace agreement under the auspices of the United States in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. The agreement aims to end the conflict in eastern DRC, which has killed thousands. An interstate summit is planned for late July with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, both of whom were invited to the White House by Donald Trump.
The agreement was signed by the Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers at a ceremony presided over by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “This is a significant moment after 30 years of war,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a ceremony at the State Department with his Rwandan and DRC counterparts, but added that “much work still needs to be done.”
The details of the agreement have not yet been made public. But according to documents consulted by RFI and sources close to the mediation, the draft agreement ahead of the signing envisaged an end to hostilities between the two armies: there would be no more direct or indirect aggression. Disputes should now be resolved through diplomatic channels.
It specifically addressed the issue of armed groups, with both sides committing to no longer supporting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group formed by former Hutu leaders of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, or the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23).
Beyond the security aspects, the draft text also included a significant economic component. It provided for a regional integration framework, structural projects in energy, natural resources and infrastructure, and the integration of US interests in the region.
As a reminder, the agreement signed this Friday was inspired by a Declaration of Principles approved by the two countries in April. According to the US State Department, it includes provisions on “respecting territorial integrity and ending hostilities” in eastern DRC following the M23-led offensive.
According to the UN and several Western foreign ministries, the armed group, backed by Rwanda, seized the cities of Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu respectively, after an offensive that killed thousands.
Qatar is also acting as a mediator between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23. Qatar hosted Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in Doha in mid-March.
Source: Musitem Haber
