It was recently reported that the DRC and Rwanda were set to sign an agreement in Washington on Friday aimed at promoting peace and economic development.
DR Congo and the M23 group said earlier this week that they were dedicated to peace and that they hoped to achieve a lasting truce.
As relayed, this deal has been signed, which entails that both countries respect each other’s sovereignty and come up with a draft peace deal by 2 May.
“To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment,” said Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner.
“You have every reason to expect more than promises,” she added.
Emphasizing that point, the Rwandan Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, also added, “We are discussing how to build new regional economic value chains that link our countries, including with American private sector investment.”
The agreement, made during a staggering advance by M23 rebels in Congo, is likely to attract major U.S. public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals such as tantalum and gold, according to the final text, as reported by Reuters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio witnessed the signing on Friday, where the foreign ministers of the two nations inked the agreement in Washington.
“A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity,” Rubio said during the signing.
“Our firms are good corporate citizens, American firms, and they’ll bring good governance and ensure responsible, reliable supply chains for things like critical minerals,” he added.
Fighting purportedly broke out in North Kivu region on Friday despite the negotiations.
Rwanda and DRC conflict
In recent months, M23 rebels supported by Rwanda have taken control of large areas of mineral-rich terrain in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The Kinshasa administration sought assistance from the United States in return for access to the minerals after losing territory.
Authorities in the DRC estimate that 7,000 people have been killed since fighting began in January.
The conflict conducted by M23 in the eastern DRC towns of Goma and Bukavu sparked concerns of a larger regional war.
The DRC, alongside the United States and the United Nations, had accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, which Rwanda has since disputed.
