The presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are preparing to sign a peace agreement aimed at ending years of conflict in the region during a summit hosted in Washington by US President Donald Trump.
In the lead-up to the summit, fighting has intensified in the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo between government troops and rebels who are widely believed to be receiving support from Rwanda.
DR Congo’s military accused its opponents of trying to “sabotage” the peace effort, while the M23 rebels claimed that government forces had violated the ceasefire by launching an offensive.
Earlier this year, the M23 captured extensive territory in eastern DR Congo during a campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths and massive displacement.
President Felix Tshisekedi of DR Congo and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have traded heated remarks over recent years, each blaming the other for sparking the conflict.
In June, Trump successfully brought the two nations’ foreign ministers together to sign a peace accord, celebrating it as a “glorious triumph”.
Tshisekedi and Kagame are now set to formally approve the agreement, with leaders from several African and Arab nations, including Burundi and Qatar
expected to witness the signing.
The M23 will not attend the event, as it is currently involved in separate negotiations with the Congolese government under a Qatar-led process.
The Trump administration has taken the lead in mediating between Rwanda and DR Congo, hoping that settling the dispute will help pave the way for greater US investment in the area’s abundant resources.
Rwanda continues to deny providing backing to the M23, despite UN experts asserting that its military is in “de facto control of M23 operations”.
Despite the high-profile nature of the summit and the presence of the two leaders in Washington, some experts doubt the deal will bring lasting peace.
Bram Verelst, a DR Congo specialist at the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa, told the BBC there was “currently no ceasefire in place, and the M23 rebellion continues to expand and consolidate its control”.
He added that “The signing ceremony is unlikely to alter this situation, though there is some small hope it could increase accountability on Congolese and Rwandan leaders to honour their commitments”.
Earlier this year, the M23 captured major cities in eastern DR Congo, including Goma and Bukavu.
In a statement, DR Congo military spokesperson Gen Sylvain Ekenge reported that the rebels had launched another assault on Tuesday targeting villages in the South Kivu region.
These villages lie about 75km (47 miles) from Uvira, a city on the Burundi border which has served as the provincial administration’s base since the fall of Bukavu to the rebels.
The M23, however, stated that the Congolese military had carried out air and ground strikes on its positions in collaboration with Burundian forces.
Burundi has not responded to the claim, though it currently has several thousand soldiers deployed in eastern DR Congo in support of Congolese troops.
Rwanda says it has taken “defensive measures” in eastern DR Congo in response to what it views as a threat from the FDLR, a militia containing participants from the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Kagame maintains that the FDLR must be disarmed, while DR Congo insists that Rwandan forces must withdraw from its territory.
Both demands form part of the peace agreement scheduled to be signed in Washington.
However, numerous past agreements dating back to the 1990s have failed, largely because Rwanda accused earlier Congolese governments of not dismantling the FDLR, a persistent barrier to resolving the conflict.
The DR Congo government has also insisted that the M23 relinquish the areas it controls, something the rebel group has so far refused in ongoing talks mediated by Qatar.
Qatar and the United States are jointly working to coordinate mediation efforts, with Qatar maintaining close relations with Rwanda while the US is perceived to be more aligned with DR Congo.
According to the US State Department in 2023, DR Congo holds an estimated $25 trillion (£21.2tn) worth of mineral resources.
These reserves include cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, and tantalum, essential components in electronics, electric vehicles, mobile devices, renewable energy technology, and military equipment.
“We’re getting, for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo as part of it,” Trump said ahead of the June agreement.
Prof Jason Stearns, a Canadian political analyst focused on the region, said the US is advocating for an economic partnership allowing DR Congo and Rwanda to work together on mining, hydro-electric power, and infrastructure projects.
He noted that “The logic is that it will provide the peace dividend”.
However, Prof Stearns added that DR Congo has made it clear it will sign the economic deal but will not “advance on that deal until Rwandan troops have withdrawn from eastern DR Congo”.
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