Rwanda and DR Congo Seal US-Brokered Peace Deal With 90-Day Troop Pullout

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a U.S.–brokered peace agreement in Washington on 27 June, ending months of shuttle diplomacy led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior adviser Massad Boulos. The pact was initialed at the State Department by Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe and Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, then celebrated at the White House, where President Donald Trump hailed what he called “a tremendous breakthrough.”

According to a copy seen by Reuters, Kigali agreed to withdraw its troops from eastern Congo within 90 days, while both governments will create a joint security coordination mechanism in 30 days and launch a regional economic integration framework within three months. The framework is designed to attract billions of dollars of Western investment to supply chains for cobalt, copper and other critical minerals. Trump warned of “very severe penalties” if either side violates the terms, and U.S. officials said heads of state would return to Washington within weeks to finalise related trade accords.

The United Nations, African Union and Qatar—host of parallel talks with the M23 rebel movement—welcomed the deal. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it “a significant step toward de-escalation, peace and stability” in the Great Lakes region. Fighting between Congolese forces, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and other militias has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands this year alone, adding to a death toll estimated in the millions since the mid-1990s. Analysts cautioned that durable peace will depend on implementation and on securing buy-in from non-state armed groups.