Nairobi – The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have agreed to a series of coordinated steps to reduce military tensions along their shared border, following two days of intensive, U.S.-hosted talks in Washington, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The agreement marks the first significant diplomatic breakthrough since the United States imposed sanctions on senior Rwandan military officials earlier this month over their alleged support for the M23 rebel group.
While Kigali has consistently denied backing the insurgents, the conflict has displaced over a million people in eastern Congo and brought the two neighbors to the brink of all-out war.
“The parties have committed to a framework of immediate de-escalation,” a senior U.S. State Department official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“This includes a verified withdrawal of heavy weaponry from frontline positions and the establishment of a direct communication hotline between the military headquarters in Kinshasa and Kigali.”
The M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group, seized vast swaths of North Kivu province in a rapid advance earlier this year.
Under the new Washington agreement, Congo has pledged to intensify its “internal security operations” against the FDLR—a Hutu militia group that Rwanda views as a primary security threat—while Rwanda has agreed to “respect the territorial integrity” of its neighbor.
International observers remain cautious. “We have seen ‘paper peace’ before in the Great Lakes,” said Paul Kananura, a regional security analyst. “The true test will be whether the M23 actually retreats from the strategic hubs they currently occupy.”
The talks come as the United Nations warned of a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in the region, with aid delivery hampered by the proximity of fighting to major transit corridors.
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