Rwanda’s foreign minister has expressed optimism that a new agreement, set to be signed in Washington by the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), could help stabilize eastern DRC, despite renewed claims of ceasefire breaches.
On Tuesday, the Congolese military and the M23 rebel movement traded accusations of violating a ceasefire and attempting to undermine the impending accord. The flare-up reflects the continued fragility of the situation, even as Trump has publicly declared the conflict to be resolved.
Speaking during a visit to Washington, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said that, despite the sporadic fighting, conditions on the ground had improved. “Peace is a process… We are seeing a form of stability. There is no longer any expansion of territory,” he said.
The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity is built on a series of deals negotiated by the Trump administration. Among them is an economic cooperation framework designed to unlock major Western investments in a region rich in cobalt, copper, lithium, tantalum, gold, and other mineral resources.
“The United States has presented a very ambitious proposal, and we hope all sides, particularly Kinshasa, recognize this as a chance to finally bring the conflict to an end,” Nduhungirehe added, noting that Trump had introduced an economic “incentive” to encourage peace.
According to him, the Congolese army has recently deployed fighter aircraft and attack drones against both M23 positions and civilian areas.
He described Rwanda’s deployment near the Congo as purely “defensive,” insisting that Rwandan troops would leave only once the DRC military acts decisively against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The FDLR is composed of remnants of the former government and militia that fled Rwanda after perpetrating the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, that killed over a million people.
“We hope the plan will move forward as intended, but so far we have seen no concrete operations against the FDLR, or any steps that would build confidence in the DRC’s good faith,” he said.
DRC Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, addressing journalists in Washington, said Kinshasa had launched an information campaign ahead of efforts to disarm FDLR combatants.
