The Democratic Republic of the Congo says a new US-brokered agreement with Rwanda, due to be signed in Washington on Thursday, offers a historic opportunity to end years of bloodshed in the country’s east and does not amount to a sell-off of its vast mineral wealth, officials said.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrived in the US on Wednesday to seal the deal, which builds on a peace framework first reached in June under the mediation of US President Donald Trump.
Tina Salama, Tshisekedi’s spokesperson, told reporters in Washington that the two leaders are expected to endorse the final peace accord as well as a Regional Economic Integration Framework negotiated last month.
She said the document “reaffirms Congo’s full sovereignty over its territory, as well as its exclusive control over the exploitation and processing of minerals. There is no sell-off.”
According to Salama, Kinshasa believes the agreement can help bring an end to the long-running conflict in eastern Congo, restore stability in the affected provinces and restart local economic activity that has been crippled by insecurity.
Congolese Communication Minister Patrick Muyaya said the pursuit of peace in Congo remains the common thread connecting mediation efforts led by both Qatar and the United States.
He stressed that a complete halt to hostilities, including the withdrawal of all foreign armed forces from Congolese territory, is central to any lasting settlement.
On the Rwandan side, government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said Kigali is “cautiously optimistic” about the accord’s prospects, US broadcaster NewsMax reported.
She said the agreement is “the best chance for peace, stability and prosperity” for both countries and the wider Great Lakes region.
Eastern Congo has been plagued by violence for decades, with thousands killed and millions displaced, according to Congolese authorities and the United Nations.
The current phase of the conflict flared in 2021, when the M23 rebel group resurfaced and launched a new offensive against government forces. Kinshasa and the UN accuse neighboring Rwanda of backing the group, an allegation Kigali continues to deny.