Deep State PoliticsTrending & Latest News

Rwanda and DR Congo agree draft peace deal to end conflict

M23 rebels patrolling captured territory in Southeast DR Congo

June 19 — Officials from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached a draft agreement that could end decades of conflict.

The breakthrough, mediated by the US and Qatar, provides for the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting in eastern DR Congo.

It also includes provisions for a joint security mechanism to prevent future flare-ups. The peace deal is expected to be formally signed next week.

The deal could open the way for billions of dollars of western investment in the mineral-rich region, which been plagued by conflict for three decades.

However, analysts say that many questions still remain about the contents of the peace deal.

The US State Department said technical teams had initialled the draft text on Wednesday, ahead of a formal signing ceremony next Friday to be witnessed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a statement, it said the deal was reached during three days of “constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests” between officials of the two countries in Washington.

The latest draft agreement builds on a previous accord signed earlier, it added.

In late April, Rwanda and DR Congo signed an agreement in Washington, promising to respect each other’s sovereignty and come up with a draft peace deal within days.

The decades-long conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels – widely believed to be backed by Rwanda – seized swathes of mineral-rich territory in eastern DR Congo.

Rwanda denies supporting the M23, insisting its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups like the FDLR – a rebel group composed largely of ethnic Hutus linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The M23 captured Goma in late January, followed by the city of Bukavu, and has since set up governing structures in the regions under its control.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes in recent months following the rebel offensive.

Following the loss of territory, the government in Kinshasa turned to the US for help, reportedly offering access to critical minerals. Eastern DR Congo is rich in coltan and other resources vital to global electronics industries.

Peace deals between the two countries have unravelled in the past.

Last year, Rwandan and Congolese experts reached an agreement twice under Angolan mediation on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and joint operations against FDLR – but ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deal. Angola eventually stepped down as a mediator in March.

Related posts

The Escalating Water Crisis in Lake Wamala Communities

Cathy Mirembe

Sunrise Hotel Fire in Kampala Leaves Several Injured and Fears of Casualties

Barbra Zeka

Flash floods kill nearly 200 in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir

ndiwalanakiwa@gmail.com

Nyamutoro Defends Youth Parliamentary Seats in Uganda

Barbra Zeka

Shell Fuel Save Campiagn: Vivo Energy Uganda Recognizes 30 Lucky Winners

Cathy Mirembe

The Life and Legacy of General Moses Ali

Cathy Mirembe

Ugandan High Court to Rule on Reinstated Charges Against Bobi Wine

Barbra Zeka

The Tragic Death That Shook Uganda’s Music and Gang Scene

Dean Lubowa Saava

Legal services across nine districts to halt as attorneys demand urgent deployment of High Court judges

Barbra Zeka

Tupac Shakur Murder Case: A Breakthrough After Nearly Three Decades

Ssekanyumiza Amansa Bwino

Leave a Comment