Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have agreed on a draft peace deal aimed at ending decades of conflict in eastern DR Congo. The US and Qatar mediated the breakthrough, which provides for “disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting in the region.
The agreement includes provisions for a joint security mechanism to prevent future flare-ups and is expected to be formally signed next week. However, analysts say that many questions still remain about the contents of the peace deal.
Rwanda denies backing one of the rebel groups, the M23, which has seized large parts of DR Congo this year. The M23 captured Goma in late January, followed by the city of Bukavu, and has set up governing structures in the regions under its control.
The draft agreement builds on a previous accord signed earlier between the two countries, promising to respect each other’s sovereignty and come up with a draft peace deal within days. The latest agreement is seen as a significant step towards resolving the conflict, which has escalated into one of Africa’s longest-running wars.
Western investors may soon benefit from the peace deal, with billions of dollars in investment expected in the mineral-rich region. However, questions still linger about the contents of the deal, including whether the M23 rebel group will withdraw from areas it has occupied and who will disarm the FDLR, a rebel group linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The peace deal comes after the US State Department announced that technical teams had initialled the draft text on Wednesday. The agreement is expected to be formally signed next Friday, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio witnessing the ceremony.
Despite previous attempts at peace, negotiations between Rwanda and DR Congo have often fallen short. Last year, Rwandan and Congolese experts reached an agreement twice under Angolan mediation, but it was ultimately unsuccessful due to a lack of endorsement from both countries’ ministers.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr795jjrnnlo