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35m ago

Congo and Rwanda Sign U.S.-Brokered Washington Accords

The deal pairs a ceasefire and regional economic plan with U.S. mineral partnerships, yet M23 remains outside the process and clashes continue in eastern Congo.

FILE - M23 rebels enter the centre of east Congo's second-largest city, Bukavu, and take control of the South Kivu province administrative office, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga, File)
President Kagame, President Trump and President Tshisekedi at Thursday’s signing ceremony for the Washington Accords
US President Donald Trump hosts the signing ceremony of a peace deal with the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame (L) and the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (R)
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Overview

  • President Donald Trump hosted the ceremony at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, presenting the pact as a major diplomatic achievement.
  • M23 did not attend and is not bound by the agreement, with fresh fighting reported across South Kivu and local officials describing civilian casualties and displacement.
  • The package includes a peace accord, a regional economic integration framework and separate agreements focused on critical minerals to attract Western investment as Washington seeks alternatives to China.
  • Under the framework, Congo is expected to curb the FDLR while Rwanda is expected to withdraw its forces from Congolese territory, though little progress has been seen since a June iteration of the deal.
  • Kinshasa says economic steps will follow only after ‘peace on the ground,’ as analysts and rights advocates warn core issues remain unresolved and U.N. experts allege Rwandan command over M23, a claim Kigali denies.