Press statement on the Washington Peace Deal between DRCongo and Rwanda on Thursday December 4th, 2025

Press statement on the signed peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Rwanda in Washington on Thursday December 4^th, 2025. Will this new USA approach work and for how long?

On Thursday December 4^th, 2025 we witnessed the first step forward by the signing of a peace deal between President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda under the hospices of President Donald Trump of the United States of America. It has taken us four years in order to reach to this step of mere signing, the peace deal has been highly applauded and emphasized by the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and all actors at the International Community, all these actors discouraged DRC to consider the war option but at the same they sympathized with Rwanda in its war agenda in DRC.

For the last four years since 2021, various actors have tried all their best in various negotiations in order to reach to this agreement but in vain because all the time Rwanda was pulling out. Now with the USA President Donald Trump, at least Rwanda has bowed the head and signed the peace deal which is highly appreciated and a great move from the United States of America.

For the last 30 years more than 10 million Congolese have been massacred by Rwanda, more than 5 million Congolese living as refugees in various countries, more than 13 million Congolese forced to live in Internally Displaced Camps, and the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union among other actors did not press hard in order to end this madness, on contrary they all understood that it was normal for Rwanda to attack innocent Congolese and control DRC territory in the name of self-defense against imaginary threat of FDLR. Instead of making pressure, all actors opted to cooperate with Rwanda in order to access minerals in eastern DRC, and this process, they are not FDLR that are a target of Rwanda in DRC but on contrary Congolese people.

President Donald Trump comes up with a new approach, the United States of America wants to pass directly through DRC authorities in order to access minerals but also at the same time made deals with Rwanda in order to access the same minerals Rwanda claims to have which President Trump stated “this economic deal will make a lot of money for us the USA, Rwanda and DRC”.  

However with all that are being done, this peace deal may not be permanent because generally Rwanda main not gain so much in peace agreement which will position DRC able to control its borders and control its minerals and decide which ones should transit to Rwanda or not. The content of the peace deal is the same with what has been proposed for years by other actors and Rwanda could not accept it, what is unique is the presence of supper power, the USA which is not only considering Rwanda as the best ally in order to access minerals alone but make move directly to DRC as strategic partner, this what other actors failed to do.

The agreement does not address the root causes of the conflict according to Rwanda mainly the question of FDLR as it proposes only the neutralization and repatriation which we very well know are not the solutions to FDLR fighters, such approaches have been implemented over the years and did not work out. But also the agreement does not solve the nationality of Tutsi in DRC and their ownership of land which they do not have as per now.

But as per now, we have a foundation of what we can engage actors about and what we can ask them to observe, however this deal may not last long in case of the change of leadership in the United States of America. It may be important to note that peace for Congolese people is not exactly what has been proposed in the USA and that alone is another problem. For Congolese peace is when Rwanda goes totally out of DRC, and as you may recall, the economic integration is not much wanted by Congolese this is much wanted by Rwanda in order to survive and as long as justice is not done, we may not have peace.

The Democratic Republic of Congo under the current leadership of President Felix Tshisekedi has demonstrated its limit to defend the country and protect its people, true and lasting peace will be restored once the country will acquire a strong security service which may fully protect its borders and such strong security service will be the very foundation of peace deal with Rwanda.

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos

National Youth Leader