Seven months after the signing of the Washington Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, implementation remains largely stalled, with progress limited, uneven and unchanged, according to a January 2026 evaluation report by Barometer Peace Agreements.
The report says the overall implementation rate stands at 23.3 percent, the same level recorded in November and December 2025, signalling a loss of momentum in turning political commitments into concrete action.
Despite ongoing diplomatic engagement, the report notes that the agreement has yet to deliver tangible security or humanitarian gains on the ground.
Barometer Peace Agreements highlights several institutional and diplomatic developments recorded in January, including the Lomé High-Level Meeting that led to the adoption of a new African Union mediation architecture, a regional tour by the AU Mediator and Panel of Facilitators, an extraordinary meeting of ICGLR defence experts in Livingstone, consultations led by Angolan President João Lourenço aimed at reviving inclusive political dialogue, hearings before the U.S. Congress on the DRC–Rwanda peace process, and the withdrawal of AFC/M23 forces from Uvira.
However, the report underscores persistent and serious challenges, notably the intensification of hostilities in eastern DRC, continued failure to neutralize the FDLR, the absence of progress on lifting Rwanda’s defensive measures, and ongoing constraints on humanitarian access for civilians.
The report urges the United States to sustain coordinated diplomatic pressure on both Kinshasa and Kigali to meet agreed commitments, particularly on neutralizing the FDLR and lifting defensive measures, and to consider targeted coercive actions against actors deliberately obstructing implementation if necessary.
It calls on the Congolese government to accelerate operations against the FDLR, consider formally involving MONUSCO, provide verifiable assurances that FDLR elements are not integrated into the FARDC, and promote an inclusive political dialogue addressing the broader roots of the crisis.
For Rwanda, Barometer Peace Agreements recommends rapid implementation of the agreed disengagement plan, the provision of security or judicial guarantees to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of remaining FDLR members, and encouragement of cooperation between AFC/M23 and MONUSCO where applicable.
The report also urges Qatar to push for the resumption of the stalled Doha talks and calls on the African Union to clarify the relationship between the Washington and Doha processes, strengthen coordination under its new mediation architecture, and secure independent funding to ensure its operational viability.
Barometer Peace Agreements warns that without renewed political will and sustained international pressure, the Washington Peace Agreement risks remaining largely symbolic as insecurity and humanitarian needs continue to deepen in eastern Congo.