The accord reaffirms commitments first outlined in June 2025, including security de-escalation and coordinated economic development. Washington describes the agreement as the result of “months of intensive diplomacy,” linking regional stability to better access to critical minerals.

Leaders Sign Peace And Integration Framework

Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame endorsed both the peace accord and a Regional Economic Integration Framework negotiated in November.

The pact includes provisions for security cooperation, mineral-sector alignment and cross-border economic planning. U.S. officials said additional agreements on critical minerals and security partnerships were also concluded.

Conflict Continues As Ceremony Proceeds

During the signing, heavy clashes were reported in South Kivu, where M23 rebels and the Congolese army exchanged fire.

Rebel representatives accused government forces of bombing civilian areas, while Congolese officials called the fighting “proof that Rwanda doesn’t want peace.”

The rebel group—backed by Rwanda according to UN experts—is not party to the agreement and is not bound by its terms.

Washington’s Strategic Objectives

U.S. officials emphasized that stability in eastern Congo is essential for securing supply chains of tantalum, tin, tungsten, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. Washington is preparing to facilitate billions of dollars in future investment and sign bilateral resource-purchase deals with both countries.

“There’s tremendous wealth in that beautiful earth,” the U.S. president said, adding that American companies will participate directly in extraction agreements.

Sovereignty And Mineral Control Assurances

Tshisekedi’s spokesperson stressed that Congo “retains full sovereignty” over its territory and minerals, rejecting claims that the deal amounted to a sell-off.

She said the agreement provides a “historic opportunity” to end decades of conflict and revive local economies in the east, where violence has killed thousands and displaced millions.

Regional And Political Reactions

Analysts cautioned that the agreement alone cannot end the conflict, noting that “it isn’t two signatures and suddenly the fighting will stop.”

Some Congolese civil society voices criticized the lack of domestic consultation, arguing that the deal bypasses parliament and does not address massacres such as the killing of 3,000 people in Goma earlier this year.

Rwanda expressed “cautious optimism,” saying the pact offers the best chance for long-term stability.