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DR Congo and Rwanda agreed to a provisional deal to end fighting in eastern Congo in a pact brokered by the US and Qatar.
The agreement, negotiated in Washington, will be signed by ministers on June 27. The pact includes commitments on disarmament, territorial integrity, the integration of non-state armed groups, and the return of refugees and humanitarian access in a region where fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people this year.
Eastern Congo has been a site of conflict for decades, with various armed groups battling for access to valuable natural resources, such as coltan and cobalt. But fighting escalated at the start of the year when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured Goma, the largest city in the area. Rwanda denies supporting M23, despite evidence from the United Nations and others.
The White House’s senior advisor for Africa Massad Boulos has focused on trying to reach an agreement to bring peace and also enable US-backed mining companies and investors to gain access to mineral supply chains that have been dominated by Chinese players over the last two decades.
