RWANDA, CONGO HOLD FIRST JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING UNDER PEACE DEAL

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo held the first meeting of a joint oversight committee, marking a step toward implementing the peace deal signed last month in Washington.

The committee, created to oversee implementation and resolve disputes under the agreement, met in Washington with participation from the African Union, Qatar, and the United States.

The June agreement, brokered with support from the U.S. under former President Donald Trump’s administration, aims to end ongoing violence in eastern Congo that has claimed thousands of lives. The region is rich in minerals such as tantalum, cobalt, gold, copper, and lithium, attracting significant international interest.

Under the terms of the deal, both countries committed to enforcing a 2024 agreement requiring Rwandan troops to withdraw from eastern Congo within 90 days. However, several key commitments under the accord remain unfulfilled.