Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday described a newly signed peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda as a turning point that could usher in “a new era of stability” after decades of turmoil in eastern DRC.
The mineral-rich eastern region has long been scarred by relentless violence, with armed groups exploiting its vast natural wealth and leaving communities trapped in cycles of insecurity for over thirty years.
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Tensions reached a boiling point earlier this year when the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, captured swathes of territory, including Goma at the end of January and Bukavu shortly thereafter, deepening fears of further regional destabilisation.
The lightning offensive in the east on Rwanda’s border left thousands dead and deepened a humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of displaced people, according to the DRC government and UN.
After a series of systematically broken truces and ceasefires in recent years and the failure of several attempts at negotiation between Kinshasa and Kigali, Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers inked a peace deal in Washington on Friday.
A parallel, Doha-led mediation bid between the DRC government and the M23 is also ongoing.
A delegate from Qatar was present at the signing ceremony on Friday, an event hailed by both the African Union and the United Nations as a major step towards lasting peace in the region.
Speaking in a national broadcast on Monday to commemorate the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 65th independence anniversary from Belgium, President Felix Tshisekedi described the agreement as a gateway to “a new era of stability, cooperation, and prosperity” for the country and its people.