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Representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda on Wednesday agreed to a series of coordinated steps to deescalate tensions and advance progress towards peace in the region, according to a joint statement released by the US State Department.
The agreement comes amidst an ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, where fighting between DRC government forces and the M23 rebel group has continued despite a US-brokered peace agreement signed last year. M23 staged a rapid advance through the region in early 2025, seizing major cities and drawing accusations that Rwanda provided direct military support.
According to Wednesday’s joint statement, the two countries committed to concrete steps toward implementing the Washington Accords, the peace framework both countries signed last December. The agreement calls for Rwanda to disengage its forces from defined areas in DRC territory, and for the DRC to make efforts to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.
Wednesday’s announcement follows heightened tensions over Rwanda’s role in the conflict. Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the Rwanda Defense Force for allegedly providing support and military equipment to M23. Rwanda denied backing M23 and called the sanctions unjust. Human rights groups have also documented abuses by Rwandan military forces and affiliated militias against civilians in eastern DRC. The joint statement Wednesday reaffirmed both governments’ commitment to protection of civilians.
The agreement also comes as the international peacekeeping presence in the region has shifted. In January, South Africa announced it would withdraw its 700 troops from MONUSCO, the UN stabilization mission in the DRC.
The post DRC and Rwanda announce deescalation amid ongoing conflict appeared first on JURIST - News.
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The agreement comes amidst an ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, where fighting between DRC government forces and the M23 rebel group has continued despite a US-brokered peace agreement signed last year. M23 staged a rapid advance through the region in early 2025, seizing major cities and drawing accusations that Rwanda provided direct military support.
According to Wednesday’s joint statement, the two countries committed to concrete steps toward implementing the Washington Accords, the peace framework both countries signed last December. The agreement calls for Rwanda to disengage its forces from defined areas in DRC territory, and for the DRC to make efforts to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.
Wednesday’s announcement follows heightened tensions over Rwanda’s role in the conflict. Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the Rwanda Defense Force for allegedly providing support and military equipment to M23. Rwanda denied backing M23 and called the sanctions unjust. Human rights groups have also documented abuses by Rwandan military forces and affiliated militias against civilians in eastern DRC. The joint statement Wednesday reaffirmed both governments’ commitment to protection of civilians.
The agreement also comes as the international peacekeeping presence in the region has shifted. In January, South Africa announced it would withdraw its 700 troops from MONUSCO, the UN stabilization mission in the DRC.
The post DRC and Rwanda announce deescalation amid ongoing conflict appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.