Rwanda and DR Congo have committed to respect each other’s sovereignty and take measures to address cross-border security concerns, according to a statement
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have agreed on measures aimed at ending decades of conflict in eastern Congo following talks in Washington, officials have said.
The two-day meeting, part of a renewed diplomatic push, comes as fighting intensifies in the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo, where government forces are battling the M23 rebel group, widely accused by Kinshasa of being backed by Rwanda – an allegation Kigali denies.
According to a joint statement released by the US State Department on Wednesday, the parties committed to respect each other’s sovereignty and take measures including disengaging forces and addressing cross-border security concerns.
“The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a series of coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions and advance progress on the ground… [and] reaffirmed their commitments under the Washington Accords to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in the region,” it said.
Previous agreements have collapsed, with all parties blaming each other for violations.
The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with 6.9 million people internally displaced – over 5 million of them in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, UN Refugee Agency estimates show.
Earlier this month, the US imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defense Force and four of its senior officials, accusing them of backing the M23 during its seizure of territory in eastern DR Congo, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as strategic mining areas.
Kigali says its forces are deployed along the border with DR Congo to defend against the Congolese Army and ethnic Hutu militias linked to the 1994 genocide, including elements of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The M23 has also said it is fighting to protect ethnic Tutsi communities in eastern Congo.
Kinshasa pledged to intensify efforts to “neutralize” the FDLR following the latest negotiations, according to the joint statement.