DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal struggles to take hold

A peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, brokered with heavy US involvement, is struggling to take hold as violence persists in the country's east.

The deal, mediated by the United States and Qatar and signed by the two countries' foreign ministers, calls for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern DRC and for the Congolese government to end its support for the FDLR militia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw the signing.

Implementation, however, has faltered. Rwandan forces have not fully withdrawn, the FDLR has not been dismantled, and separate talks between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group — held in Doha, Qatar — have yet to produce a lasting settlement. M23, which is backed by Rwanda, was not a party to the main agreement.

Washington has continued to press both sides to honour their commitments, pushing for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and the neutralisation of the FDLR by the end of the year. Envoys have met to try to keep the process on track.

The stakes are high. Eastern DRC is home to more than two million displaced people and is now also battling a major Ebola outbreak, with the ongoing conflict severely hampering the humanitarian response in areas partly controlled by M23.