The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda convened their first talks Friday following the signing of a landmark peace agreement aimed at ending decades of deadly conflict in eastern Congo’s mineral-rich region.
The eastern DRC, which shares a border with Rwanda, has endured more than 30 years of violence fueled by its abundant natural resources, resulting in thousands of casualties.
On Thursday, representatives from both countries, alongside international observers, met in Washington for the first time since signing their peace deal on June 27 in the U.S. capital, the two nations announced in a joint statement shared on social media Friday.
The agreement was hailed as a significant milestone by the African Union and the United Nations and follows a long series of truces and ceasefires that have been systematically broken.
The deal outlines provisions for “respect for territorial integrity and halting hostilities” in eastern DRC, which have yet to be implemented.
