The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have agreed to a draft peace deal to end the war in eastern Congo, following U.S.-brokered talks in Washington.
The agreement was reached after three days of talks mediated by the United States and observed by the State of Qatar.
According to a joint statement, the deal will include commitments to respect each country’s territorial integrity, cease hostilities, and work toward the disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups.
The State Department said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will witness the signing of the deal on June 27.
Last year, under Angola’s mediation, Rwandan and Congolese experts reached an agreement twice on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and joint operations against the Rwandan Hutu rebel group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.
However, ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deal. Angola eventually withdrew from its role as mediator in March.
The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo escalated this year when the M23 rebel group took control of major cities like Goma and Bukavu. M23 is accused of being backed by Rwanda, which denies the claim.
