On Sunday 29 June, the European Union and a number of member countries of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes Region (ICG), chaired by Germany, welcomed the signing two days earlier in Washington of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda.
“We commend the DRC and Rwanda for taking an important step towards a peaceful resolution of the long-lasting conflict in the Great Lakes region. We also note the crucial role of the US facilitation of the process and congratulate US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for this considerable achievement”, said the ICG in a statement, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on the ground and unhindered access for humanitarian actors.
According to the media outlet Jeune Afrique, the agreement obliges the two countries to immediately stop supporting non-state armed groups. In particular, it links the withdrawal of Rwandan forces deployed in the DRC to the eradication of the Hutu militia, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is collaborating with the Congolese army according to UN reports. Rwanda, for its part, must put an end to its support for the ‘M23’ group, whose military successes are largely based on the support of its armed forces.
Rwanda and the DRC, at the instigation of the United States, also agreed on Friday to launch an economic integration framework aimed at developing transparent and ethical regional trade in critical minerals. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)