Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Friday expressed firm commitment to implementing a recently signed U.S.-brokered peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo, aimed at ending years of violence in eastern Congo.
Speaking at a press conference in Kigali, Kagame welcomed the Trump administration’s mediation efforts and said the June 27 deal addresses political, security, and economic concerns at the heart of the conflict, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
“We have agreed to do a number of things together with others, and we will do that,” Kagame said. “You will never find Rwanda at fault with implementing what we have agreed to do.”
The agreement, signed in Washington, calls for a cessation of hostilities between the two countries' armed forces, disarmament of armed groups, and mutual respect for territorial sovereignty.
Kagame emphasized that the peace process would succeed only if all parties act in good faith. “If the side we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it,” he warned.
In Kinshasa, Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba echoed Rwanda’s message of commitment, pledging continued efforts to ensure the agreement leads to lasting peace and development in the war-torn eastern provinces.
Eastern Congo has been mired in conflict for decades. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group in 2021 has displaced over 500,000 people and killed more than 3,000, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Kagame made clear that while the U.S. facilitated the deal, responsibility for implementation lies with regional actors. “Even if it doesn’t work, I don’t think the U.S. should be blamed,” he said. “It’s our task.”
