Representatives of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo reached a draft agreement that could end decades of conflict.
The breakthrough mediated by the United States and Qatar stipulates the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting against the Congolese Doctors.
It also includes provisions for joint security mechanisms to prevent future outbreaks. The peace agreement is expected to be officially signed next week.
The deal could open the way for billions of dollars in western investment in mineral-rich regions that have plagued conflict for three decades.
However, analysts say there are still many questions about the content of the peace agreement.
The U.S. State Department said the technical team was witnessed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the official signing ceremony on Wednesday.
It said in a statement that the deal was reached in a “constructive, constructive dialogue on political, security and economic interests” between officials from both countries.
It added that the latest draft agreement is based on previous agreements signed earlier.
In late April, Rwanda and the Congo doctors signed an agreement in Washington that promised to respect each other’s sovereignty and proposed a peace agreement within a few days.
The decades-long conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 insurgents (thinked to be support from Rwanda) captured the mineral-rich territory east of Dr. Congo.
Rwanda denies support for M23, insisting that its military presence in the region is a defensive measure to resist the threat posed by armed groups such as the FDLR – FDLR – a rebel group consisting primarily of hutus related to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
M23 captured Goma in late January, followed by the city of Bukaf, and has since established a management structure in the areas it controls.
After the rebels attacked, thousands of people have been killed in recent months and thousands of civilians have been forced to be killed from their homes.
After losing territory, Kinshasa’s government turned to the United States for help, reportedly providing opportunities for critical minerals. Eastern Congo PhD is rich in aristocrats and other resources that are crucial to the global electronics industry.
In the past, peaceful transactions between the two countries have been unveiled in the past.
Last year, Rwandan and Congolese experts reached a deal twice in an Angola mediation that involved the evacuation of Rwandan troops and joint operations against the FDLR – but ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deal. Angola eventually resigned as mediator in March.
