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Why Congo and Rwanda agreed to end three decades of war
Why Congo and Rwanda agreed to end three decades of war

Straits Times

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Straits Times

Why Congo and Rwanda agreed to end three decades of war

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (centre) with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner (right) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe on June 27. PHOTO: AFP Why Congo and Rwanda agreed to end three decades of war The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have agreed to bring an end to conflict in eastern Congo, where millions of people have died and multitudes have been displaced over the past three decades. A US-brokered accord signed in Washington on June 27 commits the two central African nations to stop fighting, halt their use of armed proxies and work together to develop the natural resources that lie along their shared border. There is well-founded skepticism over whether the truce will last. Distrust between the two long-standing foes runs deep and it's unclear whether their forces and a multitude of militias will heed instructions to lay down their weapons. Why have relations between Congo and Rwanda been so fraught? More than 100 groups are engaged in ethnic disputes or fights over land, minerals and political representation in eastern Congo. Rwanda's main gripe is the presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR. Its members have links to the Hutus who perpetrated the 1994 genocide in Rwanda that left at least 800,000 people dead – most of them Tutsis, the country's other main ethnic group. A rebel group known as the M23 says it's been fighting the FDLR to protect Congolese Tutsis who face discrimination. Rwanda's military has backed the M23, while Congo's army has worked alongside the FDLR. The conflict reached new heights in 2025 when M23 forces annexed the region's two main cities. While the US and United Nations say Rwanda supported the operation, President Paul Kagame said he was unsure if his forces were involved. Mr Felix Tshisekedi, Congo's leader, has argued that Rwanda's main aim is to exploit Congo's bountiful natural resources and any other issues it raises are merely a pretext to gain access. What are the key provisions of the peace deal? The accord provides for a cessation of hostilities, a halt to support for armed groups, the neutralization of the FDLR and increased regional economic integration. It will also lay the groundwork for refugees and displaced people to return to their homes in eastern Congo. The signatories agreed to support separate peace talks between Congo and the M23, while the US, Qatar and the African Union will help resolve any disputes. An economic component of the agreement is expected to be hammered out as soon as July. On the cards is the establishment of shared processing and trading ventures that will enable both Congo – where most of the minerals are situated – and Rwanda to jointly benefit. Possible developments could include a $760 million hydropower plant, gas-powered electricity projects and tourism enterprises in national parks. What role will the US play? The US government is offering to invest directly in the region and encourage American companies to follow suit, an undertaking it hopes will help convince the Rwandan and Congolese governments to stick to the peace deal. Both the African nations signed off on a provision requiring them to explore partnerships with US President Donald Trump's administration and US firms – which could potentially become involved in energy generation and the mining of tantalum and other minerals. Congo has also offered the US the chance to invest more broadly in its economy, including in infrastructure development and in lucrative copper and cobalt mines in the country's southeast. The Trump administration has made securing critical mineral supply chains a pillar of its foreign policy, and Congo has some of the world's best resources. What are the key challenges? Congo's talks with the M23 are ongoing. Both Rwanda and the rebel group will need to agree to stand down for any peace deal to meaningfully move forward, and there's no guarantee they will be prepared to do that. It will also be a challenge to get Congo's army to fight and disarm the FDLR on Rwanda's behalf. The M23 rebellion is just one of dozens of conflicts in eastern Congo, all of which ultimately need to be addressed to restore region-wide stability. The governments will also need to figure out what to do with tens of thousands of members of demobilised armed groups who will need to sustain themselves. Finding a way to stop the smuggling of minerals – gold in particular – is likely to prove troublesome. Bullion is trading at all-time highs and thousands of rebels and soldiers make their living through a regional trade in the metal that's worth billions of dollars. Perhaps the biggest struggle of all will be over land, with disputes over ownership likely to persist for decades. Some 6 million Congolese have been displaced by the violence in the east of their country, while tens of thousands of Congolese Tutsi refugees have resided in Rwanda for decades, and will likely want to reclaim their property upon returning home. What's been happening with Congo's resources? Eastern Congo is rich in tin, tungsten, gold and tantalum – a mineral used in portable electronics. There have been multiple attempts to formalise the trade over the years and stop armed groups from benefitting from it. The initiatives, including certification schemes, bagging and tagging programs, and international sanctions, have proved largely ineffective. The M23 control trade from the world's richest tantalum ore mine. Multiple armed groups control huge gold deposits and the trade has been almost impossible to track because, unlike tin or tantalum, bullion is easy to melt down into small quantities that are easy to transport. Both Rwanda and Uganda have gold refineries – some of which have been sanctioned by the US or European Union for buying from conflict zones – and they are major contributors to export earnings. While the peace deal calls on Congo and Rwanda to clean up their mineral supply chains and jointly develop processing infrastructure, it doesn't address how the illegal gold trade should be tackled. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

US-brokered deal seeks to end ‘conflict and suffering' between DRC and Rwanda
US-brokered deal seeks to end ‘conflict and suffering' between DRC and Rwanda

Sky News AU

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Sky News AU

US-brokered deal seeks to end ‘conflict and suffering' between DRC and Rwanda

A US-brokered peace deal between Congo and Rwanda has been signed, aimed at finishing the decades-long conflict between the two nations. Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner of the DRC and Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe of Rwanda signed the document, while Secretary Rubio signed as a witness. 'Thank you and congratulations indeed for this remarkable milestone, putting an end to 30 years of conflict and of suffering,' Ms Wagner said at the Oval Office.

DR Congo and Rwanda sign peace deal in ‘turning point' after years of war
DR Congo and Rwanda sign peace deal in ‘turning point' after years of war

Al Jazeera

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Al Jazeera

DR Congo and Rwanda sign peace deal in ‘turning point' after years of war

Leaders from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a peace deal in Washington DC to end years of fighting between the neighbouring countries. Meeting in the White House in the United States on Friday, foreign ministers from the two African countries signed an agreement brokered by the US and Qatar. The deal raises hopes for an end to fighting that has escalated with the advance of M23 rebels this year. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more since January. 'We believe that a turning point has been reached with the Democratic Republic of the Congo,' Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said ahead of the signing. The peace agreement must be followed by disengagement, justice and the return of displaced families, added Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. 'This is an important moment after 30 years of war,' said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hosted the two foreign ministers at the Department of State in Washington for the signing of the agreement. The deal will also help the US government and American companies gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the US and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting that has killed millions of people since the 1990s. More to come…

Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo Expected to Sign a Peace Deal
Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo Expected to Sign a Peace Deal

Morocco World

time6 days ago

  • Politics
  • Morocco World

Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo Expected to Sign a Peace Deal

Rabat – Ministers from Rwanda and the DRC are likely to sign a comprehensive peace settlement. This comes after widespread violence in the Eastern Congo region since January. This peace settlement is likely to be signed by Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirhebe and DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. There will also be participation from the two nations' presidents, Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame. This will take place in Washington, D.C. This peace deal comes after extensive peace talks between Rwanda, the DRC, the United States, and Qatar. The peace settlement was initialled on June 18 in Washington, DC, and is set to bring this violence to an end. Key elements of the deal are centred on addressing territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities, disengagement, disarmament, and conditional removal of non-state armed groups. This is a comprehensive agreement that addresses most of the issues and concerns . Marco Rubio had stated that 'this is a great day for Africa and quite frankly a great day for the world.' If this agreement were to be signed, it would also allow for greater Western investment to be made in terms of regional development. This peace agreement is aimed at bringing a decade-long conflict in Eastern Congo to an end. This has been a devastating and catastrophic conflict with the killings of thousands of people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. Violence and conflict erupted across the Eastern Congo region in January. M23 rebels captured large cities and towns such as Goma and Bukavu. This is because the region is rich in important minerals such as gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium. Human rights abuses have been observed on all sides. M23 has been accused by Amnesty International of torturing and killing civilians. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, stated that the DRC Troops and armed groups had also committed human rights abuses . Rwanda has consistently denied accusations that it backs one of the many armed groups in the region, the M23. The Kigali government has stated that its military presence in the region is there to provide stability and to stop the FLDR. The FLDR is a rebel group consisting of members of the Hutu majority who were involved in the devastating Rwandan genocide in 1994. The DRC has denied accusations that it has been funding and supporting this organisation. Previous attempts to end this conflict have not been able to end the violence . For example, the Rwandan and Congolese governments reached partial peace agreements twice under Angolan mediation but failed to endorse the deal. This peace settlement has the potential for building stability in East Africa and bringing one of the continent's worst conflicts to a conclusion. Tags: Congorwanda genocide

Congo and Rwanda Will Sign a Peace Deal on June 27, a Major Step in Ending Fighting in Eastern Congo
Congo and Rwanda Will Sign a Peace Deal on June 27, a Major Step in Ending Fighting in Eastern Congo

Yomiuri Shimbun

time20-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Congo and Rwanda Will Sign a Peace Deal on June 27, a Major Step in Ending Fighting in Eastern Congo

AP file photo FILE – Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosts a signing ceremony in which Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, left, and Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, right, pledge to work toward a peace deal at the State Department in Washington, April 25, 2025. DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — 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. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, told The Associated Press that he believes that the duration of the agreement will depend on 'Kinshasa's willingness to undertake structural reforms of the security apparatus, and the commitment of the international community to accompany the reforms to the end.' He added that the proposed agreement did not significantly differ from previous attempts at peace. 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.

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