The agreement was signed by the DR Congo’s and Rwanda’s foreign ministers in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubi
April 26 — Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed an agreement in Washington on Friday to respect each other’s sovereignty and vowed to come up with a draft peace deal by May 2 and refrain from providing military support to armed groups.
The deal was signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also present at the ceremony and signed as witness.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent months as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized swathes of mineral-rich territory in eastern DR Congo.
After losing territory, the government in Kinshasa turned to the US for help in exchange for access to the minerals.
The agreement, reached amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Congo, is expected to bring significant U.S. public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum and gold, the final text said.
It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease. However, previous ceasefire calls have not produced a sustained break in the fighting.
Both parties also agreed to explore a joint security coordination mechanism to crack down on armed groups and criminal organizations.
“To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment,” said Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner.
“You have every reason to expect more than promises,” she added.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said it opened the door to a definitive peace agreement.
“We are discussing how to build new regional economic value chains that link our countries, including with American private sector investment,” he said.
Building on the investment potential outlined in the agreement, Washington is in talks to invest billions of dollars in minerals in Congo, which has vast deposits of not only tantalum and gold but also copper, cobalt and lithium, used in mobile phones and electric cars. Separately, Rwanda said this week it was also speaking to Washington about a possible minerals deal.
“A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity,” Rubio said at the ceremony.
“Our firms are good corporate citizens, American firms, and they’ll bring good governance and ensure responsible, reliable supply chains for things like critical minerals.”
The agreement is a “declaration of principles”, which a diplomatic source described as “very broad objectives to work towards”.
Both sides will finalise the specifics in a few months and then sign the agreement, the source said.
Congo has seen a surge in violence after M23 launched a major offensive in January that led to the capture of the two largest cities in the east.
The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to M23. Rwanda denies backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo’s army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.
Both Qatar and the U.S. have shown an interest in mediating a resolution.
Qatar in March brokered a surprise sit-down between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame during which the two leaders called for a ceasefire.
Qatar has also hosted talks between Congo and M23, and this week the two sides issued a statement vowing to work towards peace.
The Qatari foreign affairs ministry said the agreement signed in Washington was a “positive and important step toward fostering peace and stability”.
The Trump administration has taken a special interest in Congo since a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal this year.
Washington wants greater access to minerals that are currently exploited predominantly by China and its mining companies.
The State Department has said the U.S. is interested in a deal and expects any agreement to involve private sector partners.
