Rwandan and DRC leaders signed a peace agreement in Washington

The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedie and Paul Kagame, signed a peace agreement on Thursday in Washington with the participation of US President Donald Trump. Although fighting continues on the ground, Trump announced that this is the eighth armed conflict ended thanks to his involvement.

“Today we pledge to end decades of violence and bloodshed and begin a new era of harmony and cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda,” Trump said. He added that “one of the worst conflicts in the world has been going on in the eastern part of Congo for over 30 years.”

Trump said the “Washington Accords” between the DRC and Rwanda include “a lasting ceasefire, the disarmament of non-state forces, ensuring that refugees can return to their homes, and justice and accountability for those who commit unlawful atrocities.”

The leaders of the DRC and Rwanda thanked Trump for his commitment to the process. At the same time, Kagame warned that the implementation of the agreements would be associated with “ups and downs”, while Tshisekedie said it was the beginning of a “new path” that would be demanding. Both declared their readiness to implement agreements on peace and economic integration.

The documents were signed in a building that the presidential administration named the Institute of Peace. Donald J. Trump.

The US President also announced the signing of bilateral agreements with both countries, thanks to which Americans will gain access to critical minerals.

The original peace agreement between the two countries regarding the years-long conflict in eastern Congo was signed in June at the Department of State by the foreign ministers of both countries, and Trump had already included the conflict among the eight that he had allegedly stopped. Nevertheless, as reported by, among others, Africa Report portal, the violence has not yet been stopped, and Rwandan-controlled M23 militias continue to occupy two large cities in the region – Goma and Bukavu, which they captured in January 2025.

Contrary to previous agreements, Rwandan army soldiers did not withdraw from the territory of the DRC. The authorities in Kinshasa, in turn, did not fulfill their promise to disarm the FDLR militia, originating from the Hutu forces responsible for the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

Trump expressed confidence that the results of the agreements signed on Thursday would be visible “immediately.”

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)

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