The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have agreed to take 'concrete steps' to ease tensions amid a stalled peace process, after talks hosted by the US in Washington.
Conflict in eastern DR Congo has continued despite the two countries signing a peace deal with US President Donald Trump last year.
The pledge to ease tensions comes after the US earlier this month sanctioned the Rwandan Defence Forces and four senior officials, accusing Rwanda of directly supporting the M23 rebel group and blaming it for escalating the conflict.
A joint statement by DR Congo, Rwanda, and the US states they have 'agreed to a series of coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions and advance progress on the ground'.
They pledged to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Rwanda would disengage its forces and lift 'defensive measures... in defined areas in DR Congo's territory'.
While DR Congo would intensify 'time-bound' efforts to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group that includes some Rwandan ethnic Hutus involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and remains active in eastern DR Congo.
Rwanda describes the FDLR as a 'genocidal militia' and claims its continued existence in eastern DR Congo threatens its own territory.
It has repeatedly denied supporting M23 despite overwhelming evidence, citing its military presence as a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups in DR Congo.
Fighting has persisted in eastern DR Congo despite the US-brokered peace deal in December aimed at ending the long-running conflict. Days after the signing ceremony, the M23 entered the Congolese city of Uvira near the Burundi border in what was the biggest escalation of the conflict in months. It later pulled out under US pressure, but it still controls large parts of eastern DR Congo, including the region's two biggest cities, Goma and Bukavu.
Earlier this month, while announcing the Rwandan sanctions, the US stated that despite the M23's withdrawal, its ongoing presence near the Burundian border and Rwandan military support posed a risk of escalating the conflict into a broader regional war.
Rwanda has rejected these accusations, asserting that the sanctions have unfairly targeted one side and misrepresented the realities of the conflict. It has also accused DR Congo of violating the peace agreement with 'indiscriminate drone attacks and ground offensives'.
Recent drone strikes have heightened tensions in DR Congo, resulting in the deaths of a UN worker and two others last week. The DR Congo army has been launching drone strikes on M23 positions, while reports indicate that M23 also deploys explosive drones at the front lines.
