Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi are set to meet in Washington on Thursday to sign new agreements aimed at calming long-running tensions in eastern Congo and opening the region to increased Western mining investment. The leaders are expected to reaffirm an economic integration compact reached last month, alongside a U.S.-brokered peace deal concluded in June but yet to be implemented.
U.S. diplomats say their engagement has helped pause the escalation of violence, but analysts warn that the core issues remain unresolved. The M23 rebel group—backed by Rwanda, according to the UN and Congolese officials—captured the two largest cities in eastern Congo earlier this year in a rapid offensive that heightened fears of a broader regional conflict. Congo and M23 continue to exchange accusations of ceasefire violations, underscoring the fragility of the situation on the ground.
President Trump, eager to strengthen his foreign-policy credentials amid domestic criticism over rising cost-of-living pressures, is positioning the Washington meeting as a major diplomatic achievement. The signing ceremony will take place at the United States Institute of Peace, even as doubts persist over whether the new deal can deliver meaningful relief to civilians trapped in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
