DRC-Rwanda peace deal: what you need to know

Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba and her Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, are due to sign a peace agreement in the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington this Friday. Reportedly, a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House is set to follow.

Trump has already referred to the agreement as a "wonderful treaty" even before its final signing, but some critical voices doubt whether the deal is far-reaching enough.

Thousands of people have died and millions displaced in a conflict that reignited in 2021 when M23 rebels launched its most recent offensive in the DRC.

The fighting quickly escalated as allegations of Rwanda propping up M23 insurgents from across the border were broadly circulated and later confirmed by various international bodies, including the US government.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied those claims but has nonetheless agreed to commit to the peace deal.

"This agreement marks a very important step towards establishing peace in the African Great Lakes region," says Yvon Muya, a political analyst focused on African Affairs at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

"But nobody knows yet whether it will hold. That will depend primarily on the two parties concerned, i.e. the Congolese and Rwandan authorities."

With USAID suffering massive cuts in 2025, it is unclear to how the US-brokered peace deal will involve development aidImage: Michael Castofas/WFP

'World must not forget about DRC'

There's a great deal of hope resting on the agreement, which could potentially bring an end to 30 years of unrest in the eastern DRC. 

Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told DW however that in the absence of any external controls to guarantee peace on the ground, it was "very important to ensure that everyone sticks to this peace process."

"I hope it will help stabilize the situation here. Life is very difficult for these communities," Fletcher said.

Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher condemned the lack of assurances for civilian protection in the draft pace dealImage: Salvatore Di Nolfi/KEYSTONE/picture alliance

"The world is distracted by Europe, Israel, Iran and so on. I'm here to remind people that we must not forget about the Congo," Fletcher said. The city of Goma, which is on the border with Rwanda, bore witness to the brunt of atrocities and fighting.

"I was truly shocked to see the rate of violence against women," Fletcher said. "Although this peace process will deliver a different life for these communities, we need to strengthen international law, and protect people. We have to ask: Will this peace help protect them against sexual crimes, sexual violence?"

Focus on disarmament instead of protection

The UN says rape has historically and systematically been used as a weapon of war in the DRC by M23 rebels and other groups fighting to expand their influence. 

But the peace deal, which was brokered by American andQatari diplomats, does not address sexual violence directly nor any measures for justice and restitution.

Rather, it stipulates the future will be built on "respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of all hostilities," and that it will also include a clause on the disarmament of all "non-state armed groups."

"There is also mention of integrating the armed groups, but only under strict conditions," Muya meanwhile told DW.

"This suggests that the mediators for the region have perhaps learned a lesson from previous efforts. They clearly remember how in the past, the Congolese army was infiltrated by other armed or criminal groups and also by questionable figures."

A transactional deal in signature Trump style

Previous attempts at disarming and integrating rebel groups have typically delivered mixed results at best. The US-brokered deal has especially been subject to criticism for not paying close enough attention to this particular aspect of the conflict in the final draft of the document.

In fact, with M23 representatives walking out on previous peace talks, the peace deal might come across as more of a truce.

While the agreement focuses on disarmament on the DRC side of the border, it makes no reference to Rwandan forces, which have long been suspected of participating in the conflict. The peace deal seems to rely on economic cooperation intended to benefit both countries.

According to a press statement, the agreement focuses on the creation of a "regional economic integration framework" without however going into further detail.

"The two countries have at least committed themselves to ceasing all forms of hostility. In this sense, [the peace deal] is chiefly a process to restore trust," Muya told DW, expressing hope in this transactional approach to peace.

US President Donald Trump is confident his peace plan will work - though it lacks detail on how it will be kept in placeImage: Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS

Displacement crisis ignored

But Muya adds that the "human aspect seems to be overlooked" in the agreement, such as the return of refugees and displaced people.

Fletcher also points out "communities have been displaced and destabilized several times."

"We really need to support the refugees, the displaced with whatever they need," he told DW, adding that securing funds rebuild the region was likely going to be difficult.

"[T]he world has become less generous, less kind, in fact. And so it's our job to convince [the international community] to provide the necessary support," he said, as the UN faces major funding shortfalls due to cuts.

Peace in exchange for economic gain?

Some analysts fear an exploitative dimension to the peace deal. The wording on economic cooperation between the DRC, Rwanda and US has been criticized as being too weak considering the abundant mineral wealth of the region. Previously, this resource wealth has been a catalyst for regional hostilities. 

The Trump administration has suggested it wants to expand its influence in Africa and compete with China. 

The deal also leaves out key African players who have recently tried to mediate and stabilize the region. The East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) are completely left out of the agreement after, in some instances, withdrawing their troops from the region recently.

Millions of Congolese have been displaced and have suffered violence after years of warImage: MICHEL LUNANGA/AFP/Getty Images

Frejus Quenum and Ruth Alonga contributed to this article

Edited by: Cai Nebe