Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a declaration of principles under the aegis of the United States, setting out a framework for a draft peace agreement to be discussed on 2 May.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a declaration of principles in Washington, in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 25 April.
The document is an important step in relaunching the peace process, with talks set for Friday.
Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said that the declaration should be considered a commitment for a Rwandan withdrawal from her country, as laid out in a UN Security Council resolution in February.
"The good news is there is hope for peace. The real news – peace must be earned, and it will require seriousness, transparency and sincerity," she said.
M23 rebels, who UN experts and the United States say have received military support from Rwanda, have made rapid advances in the eastern DRC since January, seizing key cities in fighting that has killed thousands.
Rwanda has denied military support for the M23, who are mostly Tutsis.
Key points in the declaration include the mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity and a commitment to ending support to non-state armed groups.
Rwanda for its part, accuses the Congolese army (FARDC), of collaborating with the FDLR, another armed group hostile to Kigali, and points out that its own territory has suffered more than thirty attacks since 1997, twenty of them since 2018.
The declaration also mentions solutions for the return of displaced persons and refugees. Rwanda claims to currently host at least 100,000 Congolese refugees.
Kayikwamba and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe signed the agreement separately with Rubio watching and did not shake hands with each other for the cameras.
Nduhungirehe said that US President Donald Trump had made a "real change in the conversation" on DRC, including by drawing a link to efforts to expand US private-sector investment.
"Today we are talking about the real issues, the root causes that must be addressed to achieve a lasting peace in our region," he said, calling for a region "free of violent ethnic extremism."
The draft agreement also has a section on economic and mining cooperation for both sides, facilitated by the US government and the US private sector.
The objective is to transform the regional economy by building on existing infrastructure.
"Durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater US and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity," Rubio said at the signing.
"It's, as they call it, a win-win for everyone involved," he said.
The DRC is already equipped with a tin smelter, a gold refinery, and a tantalum refinery, and the pending agreement could enable it to further strengthen its capacity to locally process strategic minerals.
Martin Ziakwau Lembisa, international relations expert says that American pressure "helped bring the sides to the diplomatic option, because if it were up to the M23, they would have advanced further in their offensive".
Lembisa remains cautious as to how far the Americans will get involved in the long term.
He told RFI's correspondent that this agreement could show that the US administration is more interested in mineral deals than supporting lasting peace.
Meanwhile, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, spent the weekend touring Uganda, Burundi and the DRC, a first for a Belgian foreign minister in over ten years.
The tour combined development cooperation, political dialogue, and regional security.
Prévot met with the Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi to strengthen Belgium's position in the international mediation process.
"I think that Rwanda is legitimately looking for security," Prévot said on Friday, adding he disagreed with the way Rwanda was acting in the east of Congo.
"There can be no military solution in the east of the Congo. We need dialogue," he added, as "the situation there remains extremely precarious and the local population pays the price every day. There is an urgent need to act."
Rwanda last month severed relations with Belgium, the former colonial power in the region, following criticism of its actions in DRC.
(with AFP)