The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have held the inaugural meeting of a joint oversight committee in Washington, marking a step toward implementing a peace agreement brokered in June. Representatives from the African Union, Qatar and the United States also attended Thursday’s meeting, which came within the 45-day window set out in the agreement.
In a joint statement released on social media, both countries said the committee discussed progress on the deal, which includes provisions to respect territorial integrity and end hostilities in eastern DRC. However, other key commitments, including troop withdrawals and joint security coordination, remain unfulfilled.
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The June accord calls for Rwandan forces to withdraw from eastern DRC within 90 days and for both nations to establish a joint security mechanism within 30 days. It also outlines plans to monitor and verify the withdrawal, while concluding Congolese military operations targeting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, during the same period.
Despite the passing of the 30-day deadline, the joint security mechanism has yet to convene, and no troop withdrawals or finalised military operations have been reported. President Trump’s senior Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, said the agreement is still on track and expects a new date for the security meeting to be announced soon.
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