DR Congo and Rwanda reach deal to de-escalate tensions following US talks. 32 minutes ago. Basillioh Rukanga. Getty Images via AFP. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have committed to “concrete steps” to reduce tensions during a stalled peace effort, following US-hosted talks in Washington. Despite a peace agreement signed last year with US President Donald Trump, conflict persists in eastern DR Congo. This pledge follows US sanctions earlier this month on Rwanda’s Defence Forces and four top officials, with accusations that Rwanda is directly backing the M23 rebels and fueling the escalation. A joint statement from DR Congo, Rwanda, and the US outlines “a series of coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions and make progress on the ground.” The countries vowed to uphold each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Rwanda agreed to withdraw its forces and end “defensive measures… in defined areas of DR Congo’s territory,” while DR Congo promised to ramp up “time-bound” operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)—a militia including some Rwandan Hutus linked to the 1994 genocide, still operating in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda calls the FDLR a “genocidal militia” whose presence endangers its borders. It has consistently rejected claims of supporting M23, despite strong evidence, insisting its forces are there for defense against threats from DR Congo-based armed groups. Violence continues in eastern DR Congo even after the US-mediated December peace deal intended to halt the protracted war. Shortly after the signing, M23 seized the Congolese city of Uvira near the Burundi border—the conflict’s largest escalation in months. It later withdrew under US pressure, though it still holds large areas of eastern DR Congo, including the region’s two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu. Earlier this month, while imposing sanctions on Rwanda, the US stated that despite the M23’s pullback, its ongoing presence near the Burundian border and Rwandan military backing posed “the risk of escalating the conflict into a broader regional war.” Rwanda dismissed the claims, arguing that the sanctions unfairly singled out one party and “misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict.” It also charged DR Congo with breaching the peace deal through “indiscriminate drone attacks and ground offensives.” You may also be interested in: The United States imposes sanctions on Rwanda’s military and senior commanders due to conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. What is the conflict in DR Congo about? Trump’s ‘historic’ peace agreement for DR Congo collapses as rebels capture major city.
