DR Congo, Rwanda ink preliminary peace deal in Washington

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a preliminary peace deal ahead of a final agreement scheduled for next week, according to a joint statement issued by the US State Department.

The draft was initialed by technical teams from both countries, in a step witnessed by US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, the statement said on Wednesday.

A ministerial signing has been scheduled for June 27, and will be observed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to the statement, the agreement builds on the April 25 declaration of principles and emerged from three days of "constructive" discussions on political, security and economic matters.

The agreement outlines commitments to respect territorial integrity, cease hostilities, disengage and disarm non-state armed groups, establish a joint security coordination mechanism, and facilitate the return of refugees, humanitarian access, and regional economic cooperation.

As part of the ongoing US-Qatar coordination on regional peace efforts, Qatar joined the discussions to ensure alignment between both countries' initiatives, with Congo and Rwanda expressing appreciation for their joint role in supporting a peaceful resolution.

The M23 rebel group, central to the conflict in eastern Congo, has stepped up its offensive since December, capturing key towns, including Goma and Bukavu.

According to the UN, more than 7.8 million people have been displaced in the conflict. In April, the UN Human Rights Council said 602 people were victims of extrajudicial or summary executions in North and South Kivu in just two months.

Kinshasa and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim Kigali denies.

In March, Tshisekedi and Kagame agreed to a ceasefire during talks mediated by the emir of Qatar in Doha.

In April, Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe signed a US-brokered declaration in Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the event.

The two sides pledged to respect each other's sovereignty and draft a peace agreement to end hostilities in eastern Congo.