On June 18, 2025, technical teams from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda initialed a Peace Agreement in Washington, D.C. This development was witnessed by U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker. The Ministerial signing of the Peace Agreement is scheduled for June 27, 2025, to be overseen by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The agreement builds on the Declaration of Principles signed on April 25, 2025. It emerged from three days of discussions focusing on political, security, and economic interests between the two nations. The agreement includes several key provisions: respect for territorial integrity and prohibition of hostilities; disengagement and disarmament with conditional integration of non-state armed groups; establishment of a Joint Security Coordination Mechanism incorporating plans from October 31, 2024; facilitation for returning refugees and internally displaced persons alongside humanitarian access; and a framework for regional economic integration.
The State of Qatar participated in these discussions as part of ongoing coordination with the United States to ensure alignment between both countries' initiatives toward dialogue and peace in the region. Both DRC and Rwanda acknowledged the contributions made by the United States and Qatar in facilitating this process.
A Summit of Heads of State is anticipated to follow in Washington, D.C., aiming to further advance peace, stability, and economic prosperity within the Great Lakes region.