Trump Hosts Rwanda and DRC Leaders at White House for Signing of New Regional Peace Agreement
WASHINGTON D.C., USA / KIGALI, RWANDA / KINSHASA, DRC — December 1, 2025
Trump Hosts Rwanda and DRC Leaders at White House for Signing of New Regional Peace Agreement to End Eastern Conflict
In a high-stakes diplomatic move, United States President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the White House on December 1, 2025, for the ceremonial signing of a new regional peace agreement.
This pivotal accord, aimed at stabilizing the resource-rich and conflict-ridden eastern DRC, brings together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and is the culmination of months of intense, US-brokered negotiations.
The agreement, known as the Washington Accord, is intended to definitively end decades of conflict fuelled by proxy armed groups and territorial disputes, which have cost millions of lives and destabilized the entire Great Lakes region of Africa.
The White House summit marks a decisive step beyond the previous agreement, which was signed only by the countries’ foreign ministers in June.
By securing the signatures of the two presidents, the US aims to demonstrate the highest level of political commitment necessary to implement the complex terms of the accord.
The ceremony was heralded by the Trump administration as a major foreign policy victory, with a strong emphasis on integrating a new Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF), designed to link the vast mineral wealth of the eastern DRC—including cobalt and copper—with US investment and technology, a move seen as a direct counter to China’s influence in the region.
Headline Points
Presidential Signing:
The presidents of Rwanda (Paul Kagame) and DRC (Félix Tshisekedi) attended the White House to formally sign the comprehensive Washington Accord, ratifying the earlier June agreement.
Core Agreement Terms:
The deal mandates the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and the cessation of support for all proxy armed groups in the eastern DRC, while the DRC commits to neutralizing the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) militia.
Economic Framework:
A key component is the new Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF), which outlines cooperation in critical minerals and infrastructure, heavily supported by US investment.
Monitoring Mechanism:
The agreement formalizes the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM), tasked with overseeing and verifying the disarmament and disengagement processes.
Renewed Violence Risk:
The signing is shadowed by recent accusations of delays and continued localized violence in eastern DRC, putting immense pressure on both countries to show immediate and concrete implementation progress.
The Complex Terms of the Accord
The Washington Accord is built on a dual foundation of security and economic cooperation, attempting to address the root causes of the long-standing hostility.
On the security front, the terms are explicit and reciprocal:
Rwanda’s Withdrawal and Disengagement:
Rwanda commits to the verified withdrawal of all its forces and associated proxies, including the M23 rebel group, from the eastern DRC. The agreement sets a clear timeline for the disengagement of forces and the lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda.
DRC’s Neutralization of FDLR:
The DRC commits to the neutralization of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu armed group implicated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which has operated from Congolese soil for decades. Rwanda considers the neutralization of this group an essential defensive requirement.
The US-brokered deal establishes the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM), supported by the US and Qatar, to act as the primary oversight body, ensuring transparent verification and quick resolution of disputes arising from the implementation.
The Critical Minerals Strategy
A highly emphasized feature of the deal is the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF).
The US has made no secret of its geopolitical interest in the DRC’s vast reserves of critical minerals (including cobalt, essential for electric vehicle batteries and advanced electronics) as a key element of its strategy to secure supply chains away from China.
The REIF commits both Rwanda and the DRC to creating favorable conditions for US private sector investment in the mining, processing, and infrastructure sectors.
The White House stated this framework is designed to ensure that the peace dividend is economic, providing legitimate, sustainable employment and wealth for the people of the region, thereby reducing the incentive for young men to join armed groups.
Analysts, however, caution that the promise of mineral wealth has historically exacerbated, rather than solved, regional conflicts, and transparency will be paramount.
The Skepticism and the Road Ahead
Despite the high-level signing ceremony, skepticism remains high. The previous agreement, signed in June, failed to immediately halt the violence.
Rwanda’s President Kagame recently accused the DRC of delaying the final process, while President Tshisekedi continues to face internal political pressure from Congolese nationalists who distrust Rwanda’s intentions in the East.
The challenge now lies in translating the high-level Washington commitments into concrete action on the ground in war-torn provinces like North Kivu.
The success of the accord hinges entirely on the sustained commitment of both leaders and the ability of the new Joint Security Coordination Mechanism to rapidly disarm and reintegrate thousands of fighters.
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