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UPI
4 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
DR Congo, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels sign declaration of peace
1 of 2 | Corneille Nangaa (center), the leader of the political-military Alliance Fleuve Congo and M23 President Bertrand Bisimwa (second from right) arrive to participate in a cleanup exercise of the city of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo on February 1. File photo by EPA July 19 (UPI) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels backed by Rwanda signed a declaration of peace after nearly four years of fighting in Central Africa. The signing took place in Doha, Qatar, three weeks after Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington, D.C., that didn't involve the rebels, who emerged in 2012. There have been 30 years of conflict between the two nations. The BBC obtained a copy of the declaration, which must follow the Washington Accords brokered by the United States. At the White House, both sides agreed to recognize and respect each other's territorial borders, committed to not supporting any armed groups and to establish a joint security mechanism to target militias. And they plan to expand trade and investment opportunities, including U.S. access to critical minerals. Massad Boulos, the U.S. special envoy for Africa, witnessed Saturday's agreement. In the accord brokered by Qatar officials, both sides agreed to "resolve their disputes by peaceful means" by July 9 with a final peace deal by Aug 18. "The parties acknowledge that peace, security and stability are essential to increase development opportunities, improve living conditions and protect human dignity," the accord said. Also, there is a commitment to reinstate state authority in eastern Congo. The deal took the government's "red line" into account, including the "non-negotiable withdrawal" of M23 from occupied areas, according to DR Congo spokesman Patrick Muyatya. But M23 negotiator Benjamin Mbonimpa said in a video the deal didn't mention a pullout African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called the declaration a "major milestone in the ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region. Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe appeared at a signing ceremony in the White House's Oval Office on June 27. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Qatar began negotiations with the two foreign ministers in April. The agreement was announced by the State Department on June 18. "At least 6 million people were killed during that period of time," Trump said at signing. "It's incredible. And somebody said that was actually, it's the biggest war on the planet since World War II. It's a shame but we're going to bring it to an end." Around 7 million people have been displaced in Congo, which has a population of 106 million. Rwanda's population is 14 million. They both gained independence from Belgium in the early 1960s. Congo has agreed to "neutralize" the rebels in eastern Congo. They are linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide of more than 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus. In January, M-23 rebels were aided by Rwandan forces in escalating the conflict, according to a United Nations expert panel.
Times of Oman
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with skepticism
Kigali: The Rwandan and Congolese governments have lauded the recently signed peace agreement as a historic milestone to end fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC. The deal, brokered and signed in the United States, with support from Qatar, outlines commitments to cease hostilities, establish a path to economic cooperation, and neutralise armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). President Felix Tshisekedi said it would open a "new era of stability, cooperation and prosperity." Meanwhile US officials say this is a step towards unlocking mineral wealth in the region. But observers in Rwanda and the DRC warn implementation, inclusivity and accountability remain significant hurdles. Also the realities on the ground and the cool reactions from armed groups, such as the M23, complicate matters. Will rebel groups be reigned in? The M23 rebel group, which seized the strategically important cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, has rejected the binding nature of the DRC–Rwanda deal. A separate process in the Qatari capital of Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 is ongoing but has produced few public details. In a statement, Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the M23-affiliated Congo River Alliance (AFC), criticised the Washington deal as "limited," claiming Kinshasa was undermining the Doha process. M23 executive secretary, Benjamin Mbonimpa, told reporters: "Our problems are different from what was dealt with in Washington." Kigali-based political commentator Gonza Mugi described the M23's stance as predictable. "They are still attacked by other groups like the Wazalendo and even Congolese government coalitions," Mugi told DW. "So it makes sense for them to keep defending the communities they claim to protect." Jean Baptiste Gasominari, a Congolese political analyst, told DW the Congolese government should be held accountable for arming militias, and their subsequent actions. "Saying there are multiple armed groups operating independently in the eastern DRC is misleading," he said. "Except for M23, the rest have been armed, trained, and commanded by the DRC government itself, now unified under the Wazalendo umbrella." DRC and Rwanda to sign peace deal after decades of violence A United Nations report concluded that despite denials, Rwanda's army played a "critical" role alongside the M23 anti-government group in this year's offensive in eastern DRC. Both the DRC and Rwanda have pledged to pull back support for guerilla fighters. The US-brokered deal has been critcised for not addressing the atrocities committed by all sides during years of conflict. Additionally concerns persist that key local communities, other rebel groups and civil society appear to have been ignored. For Gasominari, accounting for the violence and suffering is crucial. "Justice is a matter of state sovereignty," said Gasominari, who has been living in Rwanda as a refugee. "It's the responsibility of the DRC government to request the intervention of an international tribunal or the International Criminal Court." He said the agreement does not ignore justice issues, but rather delegates their resolution to internal processes and existing international frameworks. But because justice was not clearly defined by the Washington agreement, the interpretation of justice remains vague and very dependent on the actors' willingness to implement it, according to Mugi. "The important point is whether it will be possible to implement such an ambitious concept in 90 days," Mugi told DW. "That depends entirely on the commitment and effort put into making the deal stick," he added. He said previous peace efforts had lacked inclusive dialogue and marginalized some political and civil society actors. "There are forces who saw the conflict in the east as an opportunity to negotiate a new political order in Kinshasa," Mugi told DW, pointing out that armed groups had profited from the instability and conflict. Dual objectives of peace and profit Both analysts said the peace deal has economic motives. The eastern Congo is rich in minerals such as cobalt, gold and coltan. Gasominari characterized the agreement as "a peace deal and a business deal." "You cannot do business where there is no peace," he said. Mugi added that formalising economic cooperation could reduce the influence of informal networks that have profited from conflict. "If proper contracts are awarded, that means the interest in supporting peace is more powerful than the interest supporting war. In the long term that could be very good for the region," he told DW. While President Tshisekedi is expected to meet his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Washington in the coming weeks to discuss next steps, Rwanda's foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe reaffirmed Kigali's insistence on the "irreversible and verifiable end" to the FDLR, a militia it holds responsible for attacks inside Rwanda. "We must acknowledge there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region," Nduhungirehe said. The FDLR is a Congo-based militia, which is opposed to Kagame's Tutsi-led government in Rwanda. Initially made up of fighters who led the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Kagame's government views the FDLR's presence on its borders as an existential threat. Regional and international calculations US involvement, and particularly the Trump administration's role in brokering the agreement, has added a geopolitical dimension. President Donald Trump, who welcomed the two foreign ministers at the White House, celebrated the deal's potential to unlock mineral resources. However Trump's remarks about securing "a lot of mineral rights from the Congo" have fueled a different narrative. Mugi, for instance, suggested that formalising the "permanent economic interests" of Rwanda and other neighboring countries in the Congo could create powerful incentives for peace over war. In contrast, Nobel laureate and former Congolese presidential candidate Denis Mukwege has warned the deal "would amount to granting a reward for aggression" and legitimize the "plundering of Congolese natural resources." While the front in eastern DRC has largely stabilized since February, sporadic skirmishes persist. The joint monitoring mechanism created by the Washington agreement and the vaguely defined "regional economic integration framework" are expected to provide accountability mechanisms. However both are still in early stages.
DW
04-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with skepticism – DW – 07/04/2025
While leaders hail a recent peace deal between Rwanda and the DR Congo as a diplomatic breakthrough, observers say deep-rooted tensions and unresolved grievances remain major threats. The Rwandan and Congolese governments have lauded the recently signed peace agreement as a historic milestone to end fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal, brokered and signed in the United States, with support from Qatar, outlines commitments to cease hostilities, establish a path to economic cooperation, and neutralize armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). President Félix Tshisekedi said it would open a "new era of stability, cooperation and prosperity." Meanwhile, US officials say this is a step towards unlocking mineral wealth in the region. But observers in Rwanda and the DRC warn implementation, inclusivity, and accountability remain significant hurdles. Also, the realities on the ground and the cool reactions from armed groups, such as the M23, complicate matters. The M23 rebel group, which seized the strategically important cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, has rejected the binding nature of the DRC–Rwanda deal. A separate process in the Qatari capital of Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 is ongoing but has produced few public details. In a statement, Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the M23-affiliated Congo River Alliance (AFC), criticized the Washington deal as "limited," claiming Kinshasa was undermining the Doha process. M23 executive secretary, Benjamin Mbonimpa, told reporters: "Our problems are different from what was dealt with in Washington." Kigali-based political commentator Gonza Mugi described the M23's stance as predictable. "They are still attacked by other groups like the Wazalendo and even Congolese government coalitions," told DW. "So, it makes sense for them to keep defending the communities they claim to protect." Jean Baptiste Gasominari, a Congolese political analyst, told DW the Congolese government should be held accountable for arming militias, and their subsequent actions. "Saying there are multiple armed groups operating independently in the eastern DRC is misleading," he said. "Except for M23, the rest have been armed, trained, and commanded by the DRC government itself, now unified under the Wazalendo umbrella." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A United Nations report concluded that despite denials, Rwanda's army played a "critical" role alongside the M23 anti-governmental group in this year's offensive in eastern DRC. Both the DRC and Rwanda have pledged to pull back support for guerilla fighters. The US-brokered deal has been critcized for not addressing the atrocities committed by all sides during years of conflict. Additionally, concerns persist that key local communities, rebel groups, and civil society appear to have been ignored. For Gasominari, accounting for the violence and suffering is crucial. "Justice is a matter of state sovereignty," said Gasominari, who has been living in Rwanda as a refugee. "It's the responsibility of the DRC government to request the intervention of an international tribunal or the International Criminal Court." He said the agreement does not ignore justice issues, but rather delegates their resolution to internal processes and existing international frameworks. But because justice was not clearly defined by the Washington agreement, the interpretation of justice remains vague and very dependent on the actors' willingness to implement it, according to Mugi. "The important point is whether it will be possible to implement such an ambitious concept in 90 days," Mugi told DW. "That depends entirely on the commitment and effort put into making the deal stick," he added. He said previous peace efforts had lacked inclusive dialogue and marginalized some political and civil society actors. "There are forces who saw the conflict in the east as an opportunity to negotiate a new political order in Kinshasa," Mugi told DW, pointing out that armed groups had profited from the instability and conflict. Both analysts said the peace deal has economic motives. The eastern Congo is rich in minerals such as cobalt, gold, and coltan. Gasominari characterized the agreement as "a peace deal and a business deal." "You cannot do business where there is no peace," he said. Mugi added that formalizing economic cooperation could reduce the influence of informal networks that have profited from conflict. "If proper contracts are awarded, that means the interest in supporting peace is more powerful than the interest supporting war. In the long term that could be very good for the region," he told DW. While President Tshisekedi is expected to meet his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Washington in the coming weeks to discuss next steps, Rwanda's foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe reaffirmed Kigali's insistence on the "irreversible and verifiable end" to the FDLR, a militia it holds responsible for attacks inside Rwanda. "We must acknowledge there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region," Nduhungirehe said. The FDLR is a Congo-based militia, which is opposed to Kagame's Tutsi-led government in Rwanda. Initially made up of fighters who led the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Kagame's government views the FDLR's presence on its borders as an existential threat. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US involvement, and particularly the Trump administration's role in brokering the agreement, has added a geopolitical dimension. President Donald Trump, who welcomed the two foreign ministers at the White House, celebrated the deal's potential to unlock mineral resources. However, Trump's remarks about securing "a lot of mineral rights from the Congo" have fueled a different narrative. Mugi for instance, suggested that formalizing the "permanent economic interests" of Rwanda and other neighboring countries in the Congo could create powerful incentives for peace over war. In contrast, Nobel laureate and former Congolese presidential candidate Denis Mukwege has warned the deal could "would amount to granting a reward for aggression" and legitimize the "plundering of Congolese natural resources." While the front in eastern DRC has largely stabilized since February, sporadic skirmishes persist. The joint monitoring mechanism created by the Washington agreement and the vaguely defined "regional economic integration framework" are expected to provide accountability mechanisms. However, both are still in early stages. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Los Angeles Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace deal on June 27, a major step in ending fighting in eastern Congo
DAKAR, Senegal — Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace agreement in Washington on June 27 that aims to ending fighting in eastern Congo, the two countries and the U.S. State Department said. Congo has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels in its mineral-rich eastern region across the border with Rwanda. U.N. experts say the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from Rwanda, which has denied backing M23. The decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic Congolese city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February. The draft agreement includes 'provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,' the joint statement said Wednesday. The agreement also includes a commitment to respecting territorial integrity and the conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Congo and Rwanda are not formally at war and in the past had held peace talks that have largely stalled, including those hosted by Qatar. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups, told The Associated Press in April that international sanctions and Congo's proposed minerals deal with the United States in search of peace would not stop the fighting. M23 is one of about 100 armed factions vying for control in eastern Congo. But unlike the others, they are mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who failed to integrate into the Congolese army. The group says it is defending ethnic Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination, although critics say their Rwanda-backed campaign is a pretext for economic and political influence over eastern Congo. Rwanda's longtime President Paul Kagame accuses Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi of overlooking the concerns of the ethnic Tutsis and ignoring previous peace agreements. Mcmakin writes for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda will sign peace deal on June 27
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace agreement in Washington on June 27 that aims to ending fighting in eastern Congo, the two countries and the US state department said. Congo has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels in its mineral-rich eastern region across the border with Rwanda. UN experts say the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from Rwanda, which has denied backing M23. The decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic Congolese city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February. The draft agreement includes 'provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups', the joint statement said on Wednesday. The agreement also includes a commitment to respecting territorial integrity and the conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Congo and Rwanda are not formally at war and in the past had held peace talks that have largely stalled, including those hosted by Qatar. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups, told The Associated Press in April that international sanctions and Congo's proposed minerals deal with the United States in search of peace would not stop the fighting. M23 is one of about 100 armed factions vying for control in eastern Congo. But unlike the others, they are mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who failed to integrate into the Congolese army. The group says it is defending ethnic Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination, although critics say their Rwanda-backed campaign is a pretext for economic and political influence over eastern Congo. Rwanda's long-time president Paul Kagame accuses Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi of overlooking the concerns of the ethnic Tutsis and ignoring previous peace agreements.
