The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda will have to invest all of their political will into the new peace deal brokered by the US, even as Washington prepares to reap the minerals from the pact signed on Friday.
Either that or the agreement, which requires each side to find its own funding for implementation, could suffer the same fate as several others before it.
The uncertaintiesAs part of the initial efforts, a summit involving the two countries is planned for July, with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, both having been invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.
Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe signed what could be considered the culmination of the two processes, in Luanda and Nairobi, that had been underway since 2022.
Yet even they were quick to admit the uncertainties around such a move need addressing.“By signing this agreement, we are reaffirming a simple truth: peace is a choice, but also a responsibility – the responsibility to respect international law, defend human rights and protect the sovereignty of states,” Ms Wagner said in a speech at the White House.“We must acknowledge that there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region, and beyond, because many previous agreements have not been implemented. And there is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy,” added Mr Nduhungirehe.“But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached. Rwanda stands ready to work with the DRC to deliver on our joint commitment,” the Rwandan top diplomat explained.
As a precondition, both sides will have to support the talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, between the M23 rebels and the Congolese government. This is enshrined in the agreement to attain real peace in the theatres of operations, where rebels have captured several towns and set up a parallel administration.
Demobilising and reintegrating fightersThe agreement requires the DRC and Rwanda to implement the Harmonised Plan for the Neutralisation of the FDLR (perpetrators of the genocide) and the Disengagement of Forces/Lifting of Defensive Measures by Rwanda.
The desired results of the Concept of Operations include the repatriation and resettlement of Congolese refugees in the DRC and Rwandan refugees in Rwanda. However, as is the international norm, those refugees will not be forced back to their homes, but will be offered voluntary repatriation.
But, the issue of refugees is somewhat paradoxical. Despite accusing each other of fomenting rebels, both Rwanda and DRC host refugees from the other country, some of whom have been in Congo since 1994, when Rwanda descended into genocide.
The repatriation of other refugees was agreed in 2010 under the Tripartite Agreements on the Voluntary Repatriation of Congolese and Rwandan Refugees, which were signed in Kigali on February 17, 2010 by the DRC, Rwanda, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
But some of the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide fled into Congo and formed a rebel group known by its French acronym FDLR (Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda).
The agreement states that each party must ensure that foreign fighters are cleared on Congolese soil. This means that FDLR may have to be accepted back into Rwanda if its members lay down their arms.“Rwanda has a duty to ensure the social reintegration of demobilised FDLR ex-combatants repatriated to Rwanda,” the agreement states. This could test Rwanda’s political stance given that it has often wanted the group neutralised.
The agreement states that the parties shall support the disengagement, disarmament and integration of non-state armed groups, as set out in other agreements or processes, and in accordance with the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Community Reintegration and Stabilisation Process (P-DDRCS) and the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism.
In the past, M23 rebels were offered admission to the Congolese army (FARDC), but some defied command structures, thereby breaking the reintegration programme. The agreement now states that any potential reintegration of combatants into the FARDC and the Congolese police shall be carried out “in a rigorous, individualised, and conditional manner, on a case-by-case basis, based on clear criteria, including moral and physical fitness, in particular, respect for and absence of serious violations of international humanitarian law and loyalty to the State and its institutions.”Still, Congo will have a challenge of keeping demobilised, jobless fighters content. In the past, disillusioned fighters picked up arms again.
The US minerals dealThe US will be concerned with how fast peace can be established for minerals to start flowing. The agreement says Congo and Rwanda have to work out a minerals value chain programme, including on refining, in collaboration with American entities.
Read: DR Congo sues Apple in Europe over conflict minerals“If anyone violates this agreement, there will be consequences,” warned the US President.
According to Washington, the prospect of economic benefits could encourage compliance with the agreement.“It is through the implementation of this agreement that the economic investment and development we all desire will be possible,” emphasised Tommy Pigott, the deputy spokesperson at the US State Department.
According to the signed agreement, the parties shall launch and/or expand cooperation on shared priorities such as national park management, hydropower development, derisking of mineral supply chains, joint management of resources in Lake Kivu, and transparent, “formalised end-to-end mineral value chains (from mine to processed metal) that link both countries, in partnership, as appropriate, with the US government and US investors.”Parties shall establish independent economic audits and anti-corruption mechanisms to monitor mineral supply chains and clean up the minerals sector.
Resolving disputesParties to the agreement can resolve disputes between themselves or can call upon the Joint Oversight Committee for assistance. The committee will include DRC, Rwanda, the African Union, Qatar and the US.
The agreement could be implemented within the next six months, but it will run indefinitely, with both parties having the option to amend it and giving six months’ notice if they wish to withdraw.
President Tshisekedi welcomed the US commitment to peace in the region and thanked Angola, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya for their efforts in the search for peace.
At the same time, however, he lampooned African lethargy.“I am against this kind of African hypocrisy. We often say that African problems require African solutions. But thanks to the ordeal we endured with Rwanda’s aggression, I was able to open my eyes and gain a clear understanding of this slogan.“The evidence was there that we were being attacked by Rwanda, but I did not see many African countries standing up to denounce it,” he said.
Read: The irony of ‘Africa-led’ peace processes on foreign landsPolitical willThe peace agreement could elevate President Trump’s controversial argument for a Nobel Peace Prize. However, it actually summons both Kigali and Kinshasa to retool their political will, seen as lacking over the last three decades when the two neighbours bickered and contributed to a continual war in eastern Congo.“It won’t be easy,” warned José-Junior Owawa, a Congolese journalist and expert on the African Great Lakes region. He pointed out that, “a crisis does not end with the signing of a piece of paper. Several commitments have been made in the region by all countries, without necessarily leading to lasting peace,” he said. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
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