The United States is spearheading efforts to secure a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that hinges on Kigali withdrawing its troops from eastern Congo, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to Reuters. The condition is expected to provoke resistance from the Rwandan government, which views armed groups based in eastern Congo as a dire security threat.
Donald Trump, United States president, is pushing for a resolution to the long-running conflict as part of a wider strategy to channel billions of dollars of Western investment into Congo’s mineral-rich region. The area is a vital source of tantalum, cobalt, copper, lithium, and gold — all critical to global supply chains.
Read also: Congolese, Rwandan presidents hold talks in Qatar, push for Eastern DRC ceasefire
Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters in May that Washington hoped to finalise a peace deal “within about two months”, a notably ambitious timeline for a conflict.
“You have heard about a minerals agreement. We have reviewed Congo’s proposal. I am happy to announce that the president and I have agreed on a path forward for its development,” Boulos said following a meeting in Kinshasa with Congolese president félix Tshisekedi.
A draft of the proposed peace accord, reviewed by Reuters, stipulates that Rwanda must pull its troops, weapons and equipment out of Congolese territory as a condition for the agreement’s signature. Four diplomatic sources confirmed the document’s authenticity, stating that it was authored by U.S. officials.
Read also: Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, three others to serve on UN Security Council
This draft goes beyond the declaration of principles signed in April in Washington by the foreign ministers of both nations alongside U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio. That earlier text committed the parties to addressing mutual security concerns while respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
However, the reality on the ground has remained volatile. According to Western diplomats, Rwanda has deployed between 7,000 and 12,000 troops into eastern Congo, ostensibly in support of the M23 rebel group. The M23 recently seized control of two major cities in a rapid offensive, fuelling fears of a wider escalation.
Despite repeated accusations, Rwanda continues to deny it backs the M23 militarily. Officials in Kigali insist their forces are operating in self-defence, targeting Congolese troops and ethnic Hutu militias — including elements linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide — that operate within Congo’s borders.
Read also: 26 years of democracy: Nigeria totters behind Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, Botswana
As of last week, Rwanda had not formally responded to the draft peace agreement, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. Rwandan foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed to Reuters that Rwandan and Congolese experts would meet in Washington this week to discuss the proposal.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment.
A senior official in the Congolese presidency accused Rwanda of “dragging their feet” and warned that a complete withdrawal of Rwandan forces was non-negotiable.
“We demand the total withdrawal of Rwandan troops as a precondition for signing the agreement, and we will not compromise,” the official said.
The path to peace in the eastern Congo remains uncertain. But for the Trump administration, the stakes are clear: stabilising the region is essential not just for security, but also for unlocking the vast mineral wealth.
