Can the new DRC-Rwanda agreement deliver real peace?

However, the announcement has been met with both hope and scepticism among citizens, political figures, and civil society groups in the DRC.

The peace deal, signed by the foreign ministers of both countries, outlines key steps including military disengagement, the lifting of Rwandan defensive measures, and the neutralisation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group that Rwanda sees as a threat.

The agreement also affirms respect for the territorial integrity of the DRC and allows either party to withdraw from the deal with 60 days' notice.

Despite this, many in Kinshasa and Kivu remain uncertain about the agreement’s effectiveness due to a history of failed peace efforts.

Romeo Limaka, a university professor in Kinshasa, emphasised the public’s desire for transparency and long-term peace. “The people were going to be involved to learn the timelines and outcomes of this agreement with a view to peace, which is much more sought after because that is what is most important to the people: peace, the end of the war,” he told CGTN.

Others have raised concerns about the exclusion of key local groups from the agreement. Ngenga Ewaenwa, President of the School of Patriot and His Patriotism in Africa (EPPAF) noted the absence of domestic armed groups and patriotic forces from the discussions. “But what makes us regret is seeing how the Patriots, the Wazalendo group, the M23, who fight day and night, were not involved in this agreement. The same goes for us, who are Patriots and carry patriotism in Africa. This is what worries us. So perhaps tomorrow, there could also be bad reactions to unforeseen issues.”

Supporters of President Felix Tshisekedi have welcomed the agreement. Phillipe Undji, secretary of the ruling Sacred Union, highlighted potential economic benefits. “We must now establish an economic framework that works on traceability… if there can be small commission agents in the sales chains and all that, in the profit, that the DRC earns a large part of its resources, well, we say that it is a victory.”

Just recently, a confidential UN report said Rwanda controls M23 rebels advancing in eastern Congo, gaining power and mineral access. Experts added that Rwanda trained M23 fighters and supplied them with advanced military tech to outmatch Congo’s army.

Recent reports indicate that over 7 million individuals have been forcibly displaced due to the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. Nearly 780,000 people were compelled to abandon their homes between November 2024 and January 2025.

Since January 1, over 100,000 refugees have entered neighbouring countries. Of these, 69,000 have sought refuge in Burundi, 29,000 in Uganda, and approximately 1,000 in Rwanda and Tanzania, the UN Refugee Agency reports.