Rwanda and the DRC have agreed to work together on key sectors like mining, infrastructure, tourism, and public health.

The two countries also committed to stopping illegal mining, which has long been blamed for fueling rebel activity in eastern DRC.

The agreement was made possible by the United States government, which had been mediating in the peace deal between the two neighbors that was signed in June.

Tensions between Rwanda and the DRC escalated in 2021, when the M23 rebels launched their uprising in eastern DRC.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing the group with troops and weapons, allegations confirmed by a United Nations (UN) expert panel, despite Rwanda’s repeated denials.

Authorities in Kigali also accuse the DRC of supporting a militia of ethnic Hutus known as the FDLR, who participated in the 1994 Genocide that targeted ethnic Tutsis. That too has been confirmed by UN experts in their latest report.

At the heart of the conflict is competition over mineral-rich territory, which Congolese officials say continues to drive violence in the region.

The new agreement sets a 90-day timeline for both countries to begin implementing joint economic projects.

–SABC–