Signing takes place on December 4th
The President of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, will travel to the United States next week to sign a final peace agreement with his Rwandan counterpart for the eastern Congolese region, Kinshasa reported this Friday.
Tshisekedi’s confirmation that the signing will take place on December 4 comes one day after Rwandan President Paul Kagame expressed optimism about its completion, warning, however, that lasting peace in the region can only be achieved if “the people directly involved are committed to achieving definitive results”.
This agreement is the result of months of diplomatic efforts led by US President Donald Trump.
Congo’s government has frequently stated that its signing of the agreement would be conditional on Rwanda withdrawing support for the M23 rebels in the conflict-torn east.
The conflict intensified this year, with the M23 taking over the region’s main cities, Goma and Bukavu, worsening a humanitarian crisis that was already one of the biggest in the world.
UN experts said that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government troops are deployed in eastern Congo, operating alongside the M23.
Rwanda denies such support, but has stated that any action taken in the conflict aims to protect its territory.
Eastern Congo has been devastated by fighting between government forces and more than 100 armed groups, the strongest being the M23.
Tina Salama, Tshisekedi’s spokeswoman, told The Associated Press that the peace deal must exclude “mixing or integration of M23 fighters.”
He also stated that the withdrawal of Rwandan troops had already been agreed in a previous agreement, signed in June by the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers.
“We are seeking peace within the framework of regional integration,” said Salama. “What is non-negotiable for us is the territorial integrity of DRCongo.”
Kagame on Thursday expressed concern that Congolese authorities are going back on previous agreements and constantly changing the rules of the game, adding that the success of the agreement will depend on the commitment of the two warring sides.
