Esther Imonmion
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have renewed their commitment to the June 2025 peace agreement, known as the Washington Accord, following the second meeting of the joint oversight committee in the United States on Wednesday.
The session, attended by representatives from the DRC, Rwanda, the United States, Qatar, and the African Union, reviewed progress and challenges in implementing the accord. Signed in June, the deal obliges Kigali and Kinshasa to respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, national unity, and to settle disputes peacefully.
In a joint statement, committee members admitted that implementation had been slow in some areas but stressed their determination to ensure timely progress toward peace, stability, and prosperity in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.
Talks focused on tackling persistent violence in eastern DRC and reinforcing compliance measures. The committee also vowed to accelerate efforts to cut off support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Kinshasa reiterated that it has no policy of backing the FDLR, while Kigali reaffirmed its respect for Congolese territorial integrity. Both governments agreed to end, immediately and unconditionally, any state support for non-state armed groups—except where required to facilitate the accord’s implementation.
A significant step forward was the agreement to establish a joint military and intelligence channel for direct information exchange. The mechanism is expected to be operational before the next oversight meeting in Doha.
