Headlines

DRC and Rwanda Sign Preliminary Peace Deal

JUN 19 2025·Updated JUN 20 2025

Story

Above: M23 rebel soldiers board pickup trucks in Goma on May 18, 2025. Image credit: JOSPIN MWISHA/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

On Wednesday, technical teams representing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a provisional peace agreement, witnessed by the United States, aimed at ending the conflict in the eastern DRC.
Aa
BBC News
A joint statement issued by the three governments stated that the agreement followed "three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests," building upon a Declaration of Principles signed on April 25.
U.S. State Department
U.S. State Department
The draft treaty includes provisions for territorial integrity, ending hostilities, demobilizing non-state armed groups, establishing a Joint Security Coordination Mechanism, refugees, humanitarian access, and creating a regional economic integration framework.
U.S. State Department
Fighting in eastern DRC escalated in January when the allegedly Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured Goma, the region's largest city, followed by the strategic town of Bukavu in February.
Le Monde diplomatique
Reuters
The conflict has also created a humanitarian crisis, with more than 7 million people displaced internally and thousands killed since the fighting intensified earlier this year.
Africanews
UN News
Reuters
A formal ministerial signing of the peace treaty is scheduled for June 27 and will be witnessed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The signing ceremony is set to be followed by a summit of the heads of state in Washington, D.C.
Bloomberg.com
U.S. State Department

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

This agreement is a breakthrough in DRC-Rwanda relations. After days of meticulous negotiation, the treaty settles all areas of contention, from territorial integrity to the status of refugees, while fostering closer ties between the two countries via economic integration and the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism. Combined, the treaty will bring a troubled region closer to peace and harmony.

U.S. State Department

Narrative B

While the agreement is welcome, to truly secure peace, the U.S. has to be willing to invest in it. By funding local projects to develop infrastructure and support livelihoods, as well as by providing security, the U.S. can change incentive structures to promote peace and discourage conflict. Otherwise, the lack of material difference will cause this agreement to fail like those before it.

Chatham House