Leaders of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are slated to finalize a historic peace agreement next week in the United States, a deal aimed at ending the years‑long conflict in eastern Congo.
Under the accord, Félix Tshisekedi will travel to Washington to meet his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, on December 4 and sign the final agreement.
A key condition for the deal to proceed is Rwanda’s withdrawal of all alleged backing for the rebel group M23. The DRC government insists that the agreement cannot move forward unless Rwanda ends its support for M23 fighters.
The agreement will reject integration of M23 combatants into national forces and reaffirm Congo’s territorial integrity, a non‑negotiable red line, according to Kinshasa.
Despite previous rounds of diplomacy including a draft agreement and a ceasefire deal signed earlier this year the path to sustainable peace remains fragile. Implementation will depend heavily on mutual trust, concrete withdrawals, and the political will to enforce the deal on the ground.
