A U.S.-mediated treaty between the DRC and Rwanda aimed at ending armed conflict in eastern Congo through troop withdrawal and critical minerals trade cooperation.
Key Facts
- Signing date
- June 27, 2025 (foreign ministers); December 4, 2025 (heads of state)
- Signed by (DRC)
- Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (FM); Félix Tshisekedi (President)
- Signed by (Rwanda)
- Olivier Nduhungirehe (FM); Paul Kagame (President)
- Mediators
- United States and Qatar
- Key Rwandan condition
- Withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern DRC
- Key DRC condition
- End support for FDLR militia
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Prolonged armed conflict in eastern DRC, driven by the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group and the presence of the FDLR militia hostile to Rwanda, had destabilized the region for years. The United States and Qatar intervened as mediators, seeking both a humanitarian resolution and access to the DRC's critical mineral resources.
On June 27, 2025, the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda signed the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity in Washington, D.C., in a ceremony overseen by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The agreement required Rwanda to withdraw troops from eastern DRC and the DRC to dismantle the FDLR, while establishing a regional economic integration framework centered on critical minerals trade.
Implementation stalled through mid-2025, with Rwandan troops remaining in the DRC and the FDLR undisbanded. A separate DRC–M23 framework agreement was signed on November 15, and heads of state formally signed the Accords on December 4, 2025. Fighting nonetheless continued in eastern DRC, and analysts criticized the deal as prioritizing U.S. economic interests over genuine conflict resolution.
Political Outcome
Peace treaty signed between DRC and Rwanda; implementation remained incomplete, with continued fighting and unmet withdrawal obligations as of late 2025.