The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have agreed on terms of economic co-operation in several sectors, as both nations progress towards signing a peace deal agreed in June. The deal involves a regional economic framework that includes co-operation on energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health. This is all according to the State Department of the United States, which mediated the agreement alongside Qatar.

Besides economic provisions, the deal also required that both sides cease hostilities and recognise one another’s territorial integrity, and perhaps most crucially of all, halt support for non-state armed groups. This final provision refers mostly to the M23 group in Eastern DRC, which has claimed civilian casualties and pushed Congolese military forces from much of North and South Kivu Provinces. M23 rebels have taken swathes of territory in both provinces.

The outcome has not merely been mass displacement and loss of Congolese life but also alleged racketeering in the mineral trade. Eastern DRC is a mineral-rich region, with raw materials including tantalum (used for electronics), tin, tungsten, and gold, said to be worth tens of trillions of dollars. Some DRC militias have been accused of smuggling blood minerals, like tantalum, into Rwanda. According to Al Jazeera, “despite having ‘modest’ reserves, Rwanda supplies 36 percent of the tantalum bought by the United States.”

Before the deal was brokered, fighting in Eastern DRC had resulted in the M23 group seizing valuable mines. The DRC claims it is losing $1 billion a year in revenue smuggled to Rwanda. President Kagame, meanwhile, sharply denies these assertions, stating that “accusing Rwanda of [supporting] M23 is wrong and distracts from the real cause of continuous conflict in eastern DRC.” Rwanda blames DRC for allowing more than 130 armed groups to operate in its territory, such as the FDLR and FARDC. Rwanda accuses these militias of targeting its border areas.

Maintaining a sustainable “diamond peace” is a complex matter, made even more challenging when considering the history behind the conflict. Although central Africa and its myriad of disputes have a long history, encompassing pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial eras in the region, the 1994 Rwanda genocide was a major flashpoint. During the genocide of Rwanda’s Tutsi population, many Hutus, including some of the killers, fled Rwanda for the DRC. Over time, some of these men would form militias. So, in 1996, Rwanda invaded the DRC in the first Congo War, targeting Hutu militias.

The second Congo War lasted from 1998 and 2003. This was an especially bloody conflict as the war and its aftermath caused an estimated 5.4 million deaths, mainly due to disease, malnutrition, and war crimes; according to a 2008 report by the International Rescue Committee, the second Congo War was the bloodiest conflict since World War II. The M23 movement, comprising mostly Tutsis, would later emerge in 2012. Their name emanates from a March 2009 peace deal with the DRC, which they say was never fully implemented.

As years passed, warfare in mineral-rich DRC continued, with M23 rebels seizing vast amounts of territory, especially since the start of 2025. These victories have been attributed to Rwandan support, as an estimated 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are alleged by the UN to be collaborating with M23 militants.
The June peace deal could thus not have come at a more needed time. With thousands killed and even more displaced, President Tshisekedi welcomed the peace deal along with President Trump, who described it as “a tremendous breakthrough.” Doha was also pleased with the deal being signed, as they had contributed heavily toward the diplomatic process.

Human Rights Watch has nevertheless referred to the deal as a “mineral deal first, an opportunity for peace second,” where the deal aims to attract Western investment into the region’s minerals as a key feature. Moreover, there is the matter of Rwandan military presence in DRC. The deal has not secured a guarantee that Rwanda will withdraw its troops from Congo, while the M23 rebels have not returned any of the territories they have occupied during the conflict. This is especially contentious, as Kigali claims its military presence is for security reasons, while Kinshasa is adamant that Rwanda is profiteering from the DRC’s vast minerals.

As the DRC struggles to stabilise its nation and establish respect for its territorial sovereignty, this ‘diamond peace’ with Rwanda is a welcome pause to the violence and mass murder brought by conflict. However, disagreement about troop withdrawal, along with the arguably cynical nature of the “mineral deal”, means there are still barriers against a lasting peace in Eastern DRC.