In a renewed international push to bring lasting peace to the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both Congo and Rwanda have submitted a draft peace proposal aimed at ending decades of fighting in the mineral-rich region.
The development, confirmed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa and the Middle East, Massad Boulos, is seen as a crucial step in a broader U.S.-led initiative to unlock billions of dollars in Western investment.
The proposal follows a high-profile meeting in Washington last month where the foreign ministers of both countries, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, committed to submitting a draft by May 2. However, there has been no public confirmation from either Kinshasa or Kigali that this deadline was officially met.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe added to the ambiguity over the weekend, stating on social media platform X that the proposals from both sides “have not yet been consolidated.”
Despite this, Boulos posted on Monday that he had received a draft from both governments, calling it “an important step” toward peace. He also expressed optimism that a final agreement could be reached soon.
Speaking to Reuters last week, Boulos laid out an ambitious roadmap. The plan involves a mid-May meeting in Washington, where Secretary Rubio would host his Rwandan and Congolese counterparts to finalise the peace agreement.
But before any deal can be signed, Congo and Rwanda must conclude bilateral economic agreements with the U.S. These deals would pave the way for major Western investments into Congo’s mining and infrastructure sectors, with spillover benefits for Rwanda’s mineral processing industries.
The goal, according to Boulos, is to have the peace accord and the economic agreements signed simultaneously, within the next two months, at a ceremony attended by former President Trump.
While diplomacy unfolds in Washington, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Armed clashes continue between Congo’s military and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group in eastern Congo—a region critical to the global supply of tantalum, cobalt, gold, copper, and lithium.
Thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in recent months due to the M23 offensive. Over the weekend, Congo’s army spokesperson Mak Hazukay accused M23 of capturing the strategic town of Lunyasenge, near Lake Edward, warning that the army “reserves the right to retaliate.”
The United Nations and several Western governments have repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23 with arms and personnel, an allegation Kigali denies. Rwanda insists its actions have been in self-defence against Congolese forces and Hutu militias linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
In addition to the U.S.-backed negotiations, Qatar is mediating separate peace talks between the Congolese government and M23. Although both sides agreed last month to work towards peace, progress has been slow, with delegates privately voicing frustration over the stalled pace of discussions.
M23 is not formally involved in the Washington peace initiative. However, Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the rebel alliance that includes M23, told Reuters the group “encourages any peace initiative.”
As the region grapples with continuing violence and complex geopolitics, the success of the U.S.-brokered peace plan could prove pivotal, not only for regional stability but also for unlocking vital international investment in one of the world’s most resource-rich yet conflict-stricken zones.
