Envoys from the Democratic Republic of Congo are in peace talks with Rwanda, and have notably stopped demanding the full withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congolese territory.
Kinshasa and its allies have long maintained that Rwanda has deployed around 7,000 troops in eastern DRC—assertions Kigali has consistently denied.
However, Rwanda now acknowledges that it has placed defensive units on its border to prevent destabilizing actions by FARDC and FDLR forces within its territory.
These discussions, mediated by the United States government, are expected to conclude with both countries signing a peace agreement, to be formalized by their foreign ministers this Friday.
According to multiple sources in diplomatic circles cited by Reuters, during the talks the U.S. asked Rwanda to withdraw its troops from the DRC before signing the agreement.
That demand was reportedly included in a provisional version of the framework signed by both countries in April of this year.
Rwanda, however, resisted this, arguing that the move was necessary to counter armed groups operating in eastern Congo—particularly the FDLR, comprised largely of perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Three sources told Reuters that the updated version of the agreement would include a phased Rwandan troop withdrawal from eastern DRC, with two sources stating that the pullout will be tied to actions against the FDLR.
Rwanda’s government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, told Reuters that removing its defensive forces from the border would depend on “the dismantling of the FDLR.”
Meanwhile, Tina Salama, spokesperson for DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, said Kinshasa believed that Rwanda should fully withdraw its troops.
The spokesperson for the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the ongoing diplomatic talks.
