Technical teams from both delegations initialled the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF), the State Department said, adding that it outlines “key areas for fostering economic cooperation and development” between the two countries.
The framework is expected to be formally signed by the two presidents during a White House visit, though the date has not been confirmed. Sources had tentatively indicated a meeting on November 13, but that schedule remains unverified.
Implementation of the REIF depends on progress under a previous agreement, which includes the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern DRC and military operations to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a DRC-based armed group linked to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
The deal had been expected to be signed last month, but delays marked a setback for US efforts to broker peace and attract billions in Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium, and other minerals.
In June, DRC and Rwandan foreign ministers signed a peace agreement in Washington, pledging to implement a 2024 deal requiring Rwanda to lift defensive measures in eastern DRC within 90 days. DRC operations targeting the FDLR were scheduled to conclude in the same timeframe.
Friday’s statement noted that the joint oversight committee “recognized lagging progress and committed to redouble efforts to implement the Washington peace agreement,” and that both sides had agreed to specific near-term actions on military operations.
Reuters reported in September that Rwanda and DRC began implementing agreed security measures on October 1, later than initially planned. The regional economic integration framework, also due within 90 days under the Washington agreement, missed its end-of-September deadline.