The United States will host the presidents of the Congo and Rwanda as they sign a crucial peace agreement. The Congolese government announced on Friday that President Felix Tshisekedi is preparing for the trip. They described it as the culmination of months of diplomacy driven by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Officials in Congo have repeatedly stated that their commitment to the deal depends on Rwanda halting all support for the M23 rebel movement, which has entrenched itself across parts of eastern Congo.
Confirmation of the December 4 signing followed comments from Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who voiced hope that the agreement could hold, while warning that meaningful progress would require that “people directly concerned are committed to achieve results.”
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The conflict in eastern Congo has intensified throughout the year. More than one hundred armed groups operate in the region, but the M23 has posed the greatest challenge, capturing the major cities of Goma and Bukavu and deepening an already severe humanitarian emergency.
U.N. experts have alleged that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are present in eastern Congo working with the rebels, a claim Rwanda denies while insisting that any military action is meant to safeguard its own borders.
Tina Salama, spokesperson for President Tshisekedi, told The Associated Press that the government insists the agreement exclude any “mixing or integration of M23 fighters.”
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She emphasized that both countries committed in June to the withdrawal of Rwandan troops, a step she said remains central to the peace framework. “We are seeking peace within the framework of regional integration,” Salama said. “What is non-negotiable for us is the territorial integrity of the DRC.”
Kagame, speaking one day earlier, accused Congolese authorities of shifting their positions and revisiting previous commitments. He stressed that the viability of the upcoming deal will depend on the resolve of the parties at the heart of the conflict.
“Some of these processes will not work not just because we are meeting in Washington or powerful United States is involved, but until those people concerned directly are committed to achieve end results,” Kagame stated.
