Overview
- President Donald Trump hosted Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi for a ceremony formalizing the Washington Accords and related economic documents.
- The agreement pledges a permanent ceasefire, disarmament of non-state forces, refugee returns, justice measures, and a regional economic integration framework.
- The United States also signed bilateral deals intended to expand American access to the DRC’s critical minerals, including cobalt, copper, tantalum, tin and tungsten.
- Fighting continued in eastern Congo during the signing as M23 advanced in recent weeks; the group did not attend and is engaged in separate, Qatar-mediated talks.
- Rights groups and analysts warned of enforcement gaps, noting Rwanda’s insistence that Congo neutralize the FDLR before withdrawals and Kinshasa’s stance that economic steps depend on verifiable peace on the ground.