Just days after making significant progress toward peace and stability in the Great Lakes region, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shocked its partners by refusing to sign a finalized economic cooperation deal with Rwanda.
The reversal came despite both countries, under U.S. mediation, having agreed on detailed steps to implement the June 27, 2025, Peace Agreement — including security coordination, troop disengagement, and humanitarian measures.
On October 1, 2025, representatives from Rwanda, the DRC, the United States, Qatar, Togo (as the African Union facilitator), and the African Union Commission convened in Washington, D.C. for the third meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee of the Peace Agreement. The meeting marked a breakthrough moment in the region’s fragile reconciliation process.
According to the joint communiqué, both sides endorsed concrete operational steps to sustain peace and ease tensions along the border.
The DRC and Rwanda finalized the Operation Order submitted by the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) and confirmed October 1 as the official start date for its implementation.
The plan includes actions to neutralize the FDLR and its allied groups, while Rwanda committed to gradually lift defensive measures once progress is verified.
The Committee also agreed on humanitarian provisions, with both governments pledging to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to all detainees.
This move, seen as a critical trust-building measure, aims to improve transparency and accountability on both sides.
Additionally, participants reaffirmed the need to avoid hostile rhetoric or political attacks that could undermine the Peace Agreement’s implementation, particularly in international fora.
Rising tensions in Uvira and Walikale were discussed, with the Committee urging calm and restraint from all actors.
At the same time, Qatar, which is hosting parallel negotiations in Doha between the DRC and the AFC/M23, updated the Committee on recent progress — including an agreement on prisoner exchanges and plans to resume peace talks in the week of October 6.
The Committee welcomed these developments, calling them essential for advancing broader implementation of the June peace accord.
The African Union Commission expressed readiness to continue supporting the process.
Nevertheless, despite this unprecedented progress, the DRC delegation — under last-minute instructions from President Félix Tshisekedi — refused to sign the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF), a separate but complementary accord designed to deepen bilateral trade and cooperation.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed that both delegations had finalized the REIF text after days of negotiations, only for Tshisekedi to abruptly withdraw approval.
He described the move as “a regrettable setback” driven by internal political pressure, not policy disagreement.
One regional observer, reacting to Kinshasa’s abrupt reversal, offered a blunt assessment: “When you hire mercenaries, pay them hundreds of millions of dollars, and shop for the latest weapons, signing a peace deal sounds like a missed opportunity — at least until you lose a major city.”
Another analyst added that President Tshisekedi likely expected the United States to sanction Rwanda and fight his war with M23 in exchange for access to the DRC’s minerals.
He explained that Tshisekedi may have assumed a transactional relationship, not realizing that Washington does not need his consent to extract Congo’s resources.
“They can take them with or without his approval,” the analyst said. “Or worse still for him, replace him with a more favorable puppet and still grab the minerals. Like all drifters, he thinks the world owes him.”
Looking ahead, the next Joint Security Coordination Mechanism meeting is scheduled for October 21–22, followed by the fourth meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee.
Both Kigali and Kinshasa publicly thanked the United States, Qatar, and the African Union for their continued mediation efforts.
As for Rwanda, Makolo summarized its position clearly and firmly: “The peace process must succeed. It is the best chance for stability and economic development for our region.”
DRC government has remained tight lipped on the situation.