Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have confirmed that they will start rolling out security measures under a US-facilitated peace agreement next month, signaling a major move toward addressing long-standing instability in the region.
A joint statement released on Wednesday, also backed by the United States, Qatar, Togo, and the African Union Commission, laid out a schedule for completing the measures before the year ends, offering much-needed clarity amid worries over slow progress.
The announcement follows the June 27 signing of a peace accord in Washington by the foreign ministers of Congo and Rwanda, which included a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The deal is intended to put into action a 2024 agreement that required Rwanda to remove defensive measures within 90 days, while Congolese operations targeting the FDLR are to be completed within the same period.
During the September meeting in Washington, both countries negotiated an operational order to advance the 2024 agreement and agreed to start implementation on October 1.
The joint coordination mechanism also facilitated intelligence sharing to create a phased plan for dismantling the FDLR, disengaging troops, and lifting Rwanda’s defensive measures.
Efforts to bring lasting peace have been complicated by disagreements, including the nature of Rwanda’s links to the M23 rebel group.
Internal notes from the September session reveal that talks repeatedly stalled over differing assessments of M23’s ties to Rwanda, which Kigali denies, insisting its forces act defensively against groups like the FDLR.
A United Nations report released in July, however, stated Rwanda had command over the rebel group. Congo and Rwanda also disagreed on the number of FDLR fighters and whether neutralising them required joint operations, with Rwanda maintaining the task fell to Kinshasa.
At the United Nations General Assembly this week, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi stated that "the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congo and the end of Rwandan support for M23 were non-negotiable conditions for genuine peace."
Rwanda affirmed its commitment to the peace deal, while Congo continues talks directly with M23 in Qatar, though an August 18 deadline for agreement was missed.
No dates have been set for the heads of state to meet in Washington, where leaders are expected to sign a regional economic integration framework. A final negotiation session on this framework is scheduled for next week.