Description: The provisions from the latest ceasefire and peace agreement between Rwanda, DRC and the US, stipulated the dismantlement of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) as part of the broader comprehensive agreement for economic cooperation signed in Washington. The FDLR, once a formidable opposition force to the Rwandan government, was now depleted to several hundred fighters and had limited influence over the broader conflict between DRC and the M23 rebels. The peace agreement emphasized the need for the group to be disbanded or neutralized by the DRC without any provided guidelines, which signals a potential obstacle and a reason for the reignition of hostilities in the region. Neither the trilateral peace agreement nor the separate declaration of principles signed by the DRC and the M23 rebel alliance outlines concrete steps for implementing measures which would ensure the stable transfer of governance in the DRC, as the agreements so far have been effective only in theory.
Impact: The wide spectrum of active militant groups in eastern DRC significantly threatens the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement and incites instability in the country. Qatar and the US have successfully mediated both the peace agreement and the declaration of principles which aims at establishing a basis for future economic cooperation with the involvement of US and Congolese mining companies. The disbandment of the FDLR is one of the many obstacles threatening the longevity of the peace initiative as no concrete instruments have been placed as legal obligations in the agreement which would ensure disarmament, disbandment and reintegration of the rebel groups within the DRC. Terrorist activities have also increased in the country which further destabilizes the region and threatens the fragile peace initiative. The next couple of months would be crucial, depending on the results of the potential leaders summit, expected to be held in the near future, and would demonstrate whether Rwanda, the DRC and the M23 rebel alliance remain committed towards the mediated peace agreement.