Description: Foreign Ministers from Rwanda and the DRC have signed the peace agreement, officially marking the cessation of hostilities with some controversial elements still remaining to be resolved. US President Donald Trump hosted the foreign ministers in the presence of US Vice – President JD Vance and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. The general provisions of the agreement stipulate the disarmament of all non – state groups, bilateral respect for territorial integrity, and the creation of an intergovernmental body that would be responsible for extensive economic cooperation between the countries. The general provisions of the agreement also came under scrutiny from several experts with knowledge on the matter who have stated that the agreement rewarded aggression and enabled the DRC to effectively give up its vast rare earth minerals deposits. Other sources stated skepticism due to the absence of representatives from the M23 rebels which were the centerpiece militant organization in the war. Additional Summit between the heads of state from Rwanda, the DRC and the US would be organized in the upcoming period as reaffirmation of the commitments outlined in the agreement.
Impact: The peace agreement, facilitated by the joint diplomatic efforts from Qatar and the US disclosed only the general terms and provisions without providing concrete steps that were necessary in order for the DRC army to establish operational control of the zones mostly affected by the M23 rebels’ continuous offensives. The accentuated economic cooperation would only become available when there’s a firm ceasefire and all warring parties have agreed to cease hostilities, which poses significant risk towards the success of the agreement considering the absence from M23 rebels’ representatives. The general conditions also fail to explain in what way the included countries would ensure the longevity of the agreement without ground reinforcement and peacekeeping troops considering that M23 have taken control over most of the mineral rich territories. The agreement has been based on a debilitated codependency between the political and operational will of the armed forces on the ground which still doesn’t resound with their official government representatives. The success and the longevity of the peace agreement would solely rely on whether the Rwandan and the Congolese government would manage to effectively disarm non – state militias in the region and establish operational control of key regions outlined in the economic cooperation provisions of the agreement.