The United States has announced that it is actively working to ensure that Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sign a peace agreement within the next two months.
This was revealed by Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to former US President Donald Trump on African affairs, during an interview with the British news agency Reuters.
On April 25th, with US mediation, Rwanda and the DRC signed a preliminary framework agreement laying down principles aimed at achieving lasting peace in the Great Lakes region.
Following the signing of this framework, Washington called on Kigali and Kinshasa to prepare a draft peace agreement, which must be submitted no later than this coming Friday, May 2nd.
These two countries — along with representatives from Togo, France, and Qatar — met again in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday for talks focused on preparing the final peace deal expected to be signed by Rwanda and the DRC.
Boulos announced that the peace agreement will also be accompanied by a deal on mineral resources, which will open the door for American investors to pour capital into both countries.
He stated:
“Once we sign the peace agreement, the mineral agreement with the DRC will be signed that same day, and a similar deal — though smaller in scale — will be signed with Rwanda as well.”
Boulos further explained that the DRC agreement would naturally be larger in scope “because the [DRC] is a very large country with vast mineral wealth, although Rwanda too possesses significant natural resources and solid expertise in the extraction, processing, and trade of minerals.”
He also made it clear that before Rwanda and the DRC can sign a peace deal at the White House, both countries must address their respective security concerns.
He explained that Rwanda must first withdraw its troops from DRC territory and halt its support for the M23 rebel group, while the DRC must, in turn, resolve Rwanda’s concerns regarding its alleged collaboration with the FDLR rebel group.
A joint commission has already been established to monitor the progress both countries are making toward this peace agreement. The commission includes representatives from the United States, Qatar, France, and Togo — the latter representing the African Union.
