Congo and Rwanda vowed to come up with a draft peace deal by May 2 and refrain from providing military support to armed groups, according to an agreement signed in Washington on Friday as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern Congo.
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The agreement, reached amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Congo, is expected to bring significant US public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum and gold, the final text said.
It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease. However, previous ceasefire calls have not produced a sustained break in the fighting.
Both parties also agreed to explore a joint security coordination mechanism to crack down on armed groups and criminal organisations.
The two countries’ foreign ministers signed at a ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also signed as a witness.
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“To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment,” said Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner.