— The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have agreed to take “concrete steps “to ease tensions and advance a peace accord signed last year, according to a joint statement released after talks in Washington, D. C.
The agreement follows increased pressure from the United States, which recently imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s military and imposed visa restrictions on several senior officials over the ongoing conflict in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.
The Rwandan — backed M23 armed group controls key cities in the region, despite the two countries signing a peace deal with US President Donald Trump last year. “
On March 17-18, 2026, representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda met in Washington, D. C.
And agreed to concrete steps to further implementation of last year’s agreement, “the joint US-DRC-Rwandan statement.
The new pledge comes after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Rwanda of actively engaging in combat operations and facilitating M23’s control of territory in eastern DRC. Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 and has long pressed Kinshasa to crack down on the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Hutu militants linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
The joint statement said both countries had agreed to a series of coordinated steps to de — escalate tensions and advance progress on the ground. These include a mutual commitment to support each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the scheduled disengagement of forces/lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda in defined areas in DRC territory, time-bound and intensified efforts by the DRC to neutralize the FDLR, and the protection of all civilians.
The move is seen as a significant development in efforts to stabilize the region, though the implementation of the peace agreement remains a challenge.
Further details are expected as both countries continue their efforts to address the ongoing conflict.
