By Judy Maina, judy.maina@alleastafrica.com
NAIROBI, Kenya – The United States is pressing Rwanda to fully withdraw its troops and military assets from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo before any peace agreement is finalized between the two neighboring countries, according to senior officials familiar with a confidential draft accord under discussion in Washington and Doha who spoke to Reuters.
The condition has emerged as a central point in ongoing mediation efforts led by U.S. officials and supported by Qatar, in a bid to end one of Africa’s most protracted and destabilizing conflicts.
The draft framework includes provisions for a Joint Security Coordination Mechanism and proposes initiating a broader national dialogue in Congo, which could—contentiously—include the participation of M23 rebels, a group Rwanda is widely accused of supporting.
The Congolese government has rejected outright the suggestion that M23 members could be reintegrated into national life, pointing to the group’s designation as a terrorist organization and its role in widespread atrocities in eastern Congo.
Kinshasa insists that no agreement is possible until Rwanda completely demilitarizes its presence in the region, including withdrawing soldiers, artillery, and intelligence assets.
For its part, Rwanda has not yet agreed to the U.S. demand. Rwandan officials argue that their deployment in North Kivu is defensive, aimed at deterring incursions by FDLR-linked armed groups operating near the border.
The FDLR, composed in part of individuals implicated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, remains a persistent security concern for Kigali.
“There can be no withdrawal without security guarantees,” a Rwandan foreign ministry official said in a written statement to Reuters.
“Rwanda will not leave its borders exposed to genocidal threats.”
The diplomatic effort, according to two sources involved in the talks, seeks to conclude within two months, with further high-level meetings scheduled in Doha and Nairobi.
U.S. officials have privately expressed optimism but note that deep mistrust and competing national interests could still derail negotiations.
Beyond security concerns, the talks also encompass a strategic economic dimension: legal frameworks to route eastern Congo’s valuable minerals—such as coltan, tantalum, and gold—through Rwanda.
The plan, designed to curb smuggling and align with U.S. supply chain laws, is being discussed in tandem with the troop withdrawal proposal.
But Congolese officials maintain that no mineral deal will be considered until foreign forces leave their soil.
The negotiations come amid heightened tensions in the region. Last week, Rwanda announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), accusing Congo of orchestrating efforts to block its rotational leadership within the bloc.
The move underscores a worsening diplomatic rift and Kigali’s growing alienation from regional structures.
Meanwhile, humanitarian groups warn that continued fighting and instability in North and South Kivu have displaced hundreds of thousands, with little accountability for war crimes committed by armed factions on both sides.
So far, Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Félix Tshisekedi of Congo have remained publicly silent on the U.S. proposal, though aides say both leaders are under intense international pressure to demonstrate commitment to peace.
Whether Rwanda will agree to the proposed pre-deal troop withdrawal remains unclear. But with regional dynamics shifting and U.S. attention focused, diplomats say the coming weeks may offer the best chance in years to prevent a broader war in the Great Lakes region.
