A peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda aimed at ending decades of conflict in eastern DRC paves the way for “a new era of stability”, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said Monday.Rich in natural resources, especially lucrative minerals, the vast DRC’s east has been plagued by deadly violence that has ravaged the region for three decades.
Fighting intensified early this year when the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group seized territory, including the key cities of Goma in late January and Bukavu several weeks later.
The lightning offensive in the east on Rwanda’s border left thousands dead and deepened a humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of displaced people, according to the DRC government and UN.
After a series of systematically broken truces and ceasefires in recent years and the failure of several attempts at negotiation between Kinshasa and Kigali, Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers inked a peace deal in Washington on Friday.
A parallel, Doha-led mediation bid between the DRC government and the M23 is also ongoing.
A representative from Qatar attended Friday’s signing of the agreement, described as a significant milestone towards peace by the African Union and the United Nations.
The text “opens the way to a new era of stability, cooperation, and prosperity for our nation,” Tshisekedi said in a speech broadcast Monday to mark the 65th anniversary of DRC’s independence from Belgium.