The signing of a key document between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks a significant development in an effort to address the devastating and deadly impact that the ongoing conflict between the Congolese army and various rebel groups has had, having resulted in the death and displacement of millions of civilians. Under the mediation of Angola, Rwandan president Paul Kagame and DRC’s president Félix Tshisekedi formally agreed to disengage Rwandan soldiers, who are backing the Tutsi-led rebel group M-23 in eastern DRC, aiming to foster prosperities for peace and stabilization throughout the region, which considering the deadly nature of the conflict is imperative. 

Described as “one of the most severe, complex, and neglected humanitarian crises of our times” by the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC, Bintou Keita, the significance of signing the document becomes evident. For decades, the mineral-rich DRC, especially eastern DRC, has experienced conflict and violence due to domestic actors’ struggle for power, including control over political leadership and access to natural resources such as gold and cobalt. Such domestic power struggle was further exacerbated by international actors, such as Rwanda, accused of backing the M-23 rebels and aiming to expand its regional (political) influence while additionally securing access to the DRC’s profitable natural resources. Simultaneously, Rwanda frames its military involvement as an act of defence, arguing that its presence in eastern DRC is necessary to protect Rwanda and its citizens against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an active rebel group in the DRC that is largely composed of ethnic Hutus, who were allegedly involved in the Rwandan 1994 genocide.

Concerningly, due to Rwanda’s engagement, tensions have further risen, and violence has spiralled as the M-23 rebels seized significant parts of the DRC’s territory since 2021, which has resulted in the displacement and death of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Thus, considering that previous mediating efforts, such as the Angolan-brokered ceasefire in August earlier this year, were violated by the Rwandan-backed M-23 rebels, Rwanda’s growing willingness to disengage from eastern DRC is noteworthy and gives a glimpse of hope for a path towards peace.

However, the prospects for a potential path towards peace between the Congolese army and M-23 rebels notwithstanding, it must be pointed out that the conflict in the DRC goes way further than Rwandan involvement. The roots of the DRC’s conflict span way back. Since gaining independence in 1960, the landlocked country has greatly struggled with ethnic, political, and religious tensions that were largely perpetrated during the colonial era and further exacerbated by the ultimate struggle for economic power and the resulting competition over natural resources, including gold, cobalt, diamonds and coltan. In total, over 1,000 armed groups have been involved in the ongoing power struggle, which also suggests that the conflict has had a destructive impact on various communities throughout the DRC and killed many civilians. The conflict’s staggering toll proves that—nearly six million deaths have been recorded since 1996 — which makes the conflict one of the deadliest in contemporary history. Rwanda’s involvement, despite not being the only factor that has led to the detrimental scope of violence, has further intensified the humanitarian crisis in the DRC, contributing to the country’s instability and fragility. 

Thus, signing a document that highlights Rwanda’s commitment to increasingly disengage from the DRC signals a critical step toward establishing a peace agreement in the DRC. If followed by concrete measures to realize such aspirations for peace, current talks between the DRC and Rwanda potentially mark the beginning of gradual stabilization efforts and the necessary protection of civilian lives. This is essential, as the devastating loss of millions of lives underscores the necessity of translating these preliminary agreements into meaningful and long-lasting change, making peace not just desirable but imperative for the DRC’s future. Thus, without serious commitment from DRC and Rwandan officials, the initial progress achieved by signing this document risks being undermined. Thus, rapid follow-up action is needed, ideally with the finalization of a peace agreement that establishes a permanent ceasefire between the Congolese army and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.