DRC AND RWANDA HOLD FRESH TALKS IN WASHINGTON TO REVIVE FRAGILE PEACE DEAL

Following months of tension since the signing of a peace deal in June, delegations from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are back in Washington this week, hoping to revive stalled efforts to end the conflict in eastern DRC. By RFI

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, while DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner applauds, after the signing of a peace deal in Washington DC, 27 June.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, while DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner applauds, after the signing of a peace deal in Washington DC, 27 June. AFP - MANDEL NGAN

The talks, which are being held on 21 and 22 October, mark the third session of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism – a framework established under the peace agreement signed on 27 June in Washington.

The goal is to breathe life into that agreement and move forward after a shaky start.

The previous talks, held on 17 and 18 September, ended with both sides agreeing to launch a “Concept of Operations” – or Conops – from 1 October.

This detailed plan outlines practical steps towards military and security cooperation, particularly aimed at tackling the Rwandan Hutu rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), long active in eastern DRC.

Evaluating the first phase

Since that announcement, however, progress has been limited. According to initial reports, the FDLR has not surrendered to either the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo (Monusco) nor the DRC’s armed forces (FARDC).

During this week’s two-day meeting in Washington, the focus will therefore be on evaluating this first phase of the fight against the armed group, which involved awareness raising, planning, coordination and intelligence sharing.

The next step in the Conops plan is targeted operations against the FDLR, the gradual lifting of Rwanda’s so-called “defensive measures”, and an end to ad hoc cross-border actions.

Restoring trust

Tensions have been simmering since the June peace deal. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, Rwanda’s foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe accused Kinshasa of dragging its feet and undermining the agreement by “militarising” the region.

He criticised the DRC for deploying combat aircraft, hiring mercenaries and maintaining alleged ties with the FDLR – actions he described as incompatible with the spirit of the Washington accord.

His main concern, however, lies with the Wazalendo – local self-defence groups supporting the Congolese army. Kigali views them as dangerous militias whose methods evoke memories of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

The minister called for a “robust response” before “it’s too late".

Kinshasa, for its part, stands by its collaboration with the Wazalendo, describing them as volunteers defending remote communities from the M23 rebel movement – a group widely seen by the DRC as enjoying Rwandan backing.

In many eastern villages, officials say, these local fighters are the only ones preventing M23’s further advance.

Both sides have agreed, in principle, that neutralising the FDLR and restoring cross-border trust are essential steps towards lasting peace in eastern Congo.

The two days of discussions will test whether Kinshasa and Kigali can turn commitments into coordinated action.