Rwanda and DR Congo agree draft peace deal to end conflict

Representatives of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached a draft agreement which could end decades of conflict.

The breakthrough, mediated by the United States and Qatar, provides for the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of armed groups that are fighting in eastern Dr. Congo.

It also includes arrangements for a joint safety mechanism in order to prevent future thrusts. The peace agreement should be officially signed next week.

The agreement could open the way to billions of dollars in Western investment in the region rich in minerals, which was in the grip of a conflict for three decades.

However, analysts say that many questions remain about the content of the peace agreement.

The United States Department of State said that the technical teams had initialed the draft text on Wednesday, before an official signature ceremony next Friday to witness the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a statement, he said that the agreement had been concluded for three days of “constructive dialogue concerning political, security and economic interests” between those responsible for the two countries of Washington.

The last project of agreement is based on a previous agreement signed earlier, he added.

At the end of April, Rwanda and Dr. Congo signed an agreement in Washington, promising to respect the sovereignty of the other and to conclude a peace agreement in the days.

The conflict of several decades has intensified earlier this year when M23 Rebels – largely supported by Rwanda – has entered the area of ​​territory rich in minerals in eastern Dr. Congo.

Rwanda denies supporting the M23, insisting that its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups such as the FDLR – a rebel group composed largely of ethnic Hutus linked to the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

The M23 captured Goma at the end of January, followed by the city of Bukavu, and has since set up structures governing the regions under its control.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of forced civilians from their house in recent months after the rebellious offensive.

After the loss of territory, the government of Kinshasa turned to the United States to obtain aid, offering access to critical minerals. Eastern Dr Congo is rich in coltan and other vital resources for the global electronics industries.

The peace agreements between the two countries have collapsed in the past.

Last year, Rwandan and Congolese experts concluded an agreement twice under Angolan mediation on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and joint operations against the FDLR – but the ministers of the two countries did not obtain the agreement. Angola finally resigned as a mediator in March.