The U.S.-brokered peace agreement between Rwanda and DR Congo has been finalised and is set to be signed in Washington DC on Friday, June 27, by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. A highly placed source told The New Times on Thursday, June 26, that the finalisation of the agreement happened last week when technical teams initialed it, “meaning that it has been agreed by both parties and no changes will be made.” ALSO READ: Washington talks on DR Congo crisis: Negotiations for realistic, win-win peace agreement start June 15 “Tomorrow is the formal signing by foreign ministers, to be witnessed by Secretary Marco Rubio,” the source said. The agreement is expected to address political, security, and economic issues regarding the two countries’ relations. The agreement is a will be the result of a Washington-mediated process, whose declaration of principles was signed on April 25 by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe and his Congolese counterpart Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, with Secretary Rubio as a witness. ALSO READ: Peace in DR Congo will only come when Kinshasa addresses FDLR threat – former US Assistant Secretary of State The two countries teams initialed the agreement on June 18 after days of negotiations held in the US capital, facilitated by the State Department. Qatar, which has been leading a different peace initiative for DR Congo, participated in the talks as an observer. The peace deal was originally expected to be signed in mid-June. However, the signing was postponed due to delays in reaching a comprehensive, realistic, and win-win peace agreement acceptable to both sides. ALSO READ: Washington talks on DR Congo crisis: Negotiations for realistic, win-win peace agreement start June 15 US President Donald Trump recently described the upcoming signing of the deal as a great day for Africa. In a message posted on X by Trump's Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, Trump expressed delight over his role in facilitating the agreement. ALSO READ: Draft Rwanda-DR Congo peace deal reached at Washington talks “I am very happy to report that I have arranged, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a wonderful treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Rwanda,” Trump wrote. “This is a great day for Africa and, quite frankly, a great day for the world!” ALSO READ: Why genocide ideology doesn’t dissolve three decades after dispersion of genocidaires Efforts to resolve the decades-long conflict eastern DR Congo gained momentum earlier this year when the AFC/M23 rebel group seized control of two major cities in eastern DR Congo, after defeating a Congolese government coalition that comprised the genocidal FDLR militia. Backed by Kinshasa, the militia was formed nearly three decades ago by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The group, designated a terrorist organization by both the UN and the U.S, has launched attacks on Rwanda and is accused spreading genocide ideology in eastern DR Congo.
