DRC and Rwanda Agree on De-Escalation in Eastern Congo

Officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda met in Washington on March 17 and 18, 2026, agreeing to a series of coordinated measures aimed at de-escalating longstanding tensions in eastern Congo, according to a joint statement from the two governments and the United States.

The talks, hosted by the U.S. State Department, focused on advancing a peace process amid ongoing violence between Congolese government forces and the M23 rebel group, which controls significant territory in the mineral-rich region. The agreement builds on the December 2025 Washington Accords, a U.S.-brokered deal between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame that committed both nations to border security mechanisms and economic cooperation. Despite that pact, fighting intensified in early 2025, with M23 seizing the key cities of Goma in North Kivu province and Bukavu in South Kivu province, displacing thousands and exacerbating one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

Under the new commitments, both sides pledged to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Rwanda agreed to a scheduled disengagement of forces and the lifting of...