Congo and Rwanda postpone US-backed economic deal signing in setback for peace process

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda will not sign the expected economic framework this week, sources told Reuters on Friday, dealing a setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to implement a peace deal and attract Western investment to the region.

President Donald Trump has sought to broker peace and encourage billions of dollars in investment in the mineral-rich eastern Congo after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured two major cities earlier this year, the most serious threat to Kinshasa in two decades.

Despite claims that the conflict is over, the June peace agreement reached in Washington has faced hurdles, with Congo’s army and M23 rebels reinforcing positions and accusing each other of violating terms.

The Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF), expected to be initialled after final negotiations in Washington, was not signed because Kinshasa refused to approve the agreement, a Rwandan official said. Another source indicated Congo will only sign once 90% of Rwandan troops have withdrawn from eastern Congo, a key condition of the broader peace deal.

“They’re going to have to get Trump on the phone,” one source said.

The U.S. is trying to get the process back on track, the Rwandan official said, but the initialing was not expected to take place on Friday.

”The negotiating teams had finalized the text of the REIF agreement but disappointingly, Kinshasa decided at the last minute not to initial it,” the Rwandan official said.

”The agreement has been finalised but the Congolese had never made any secret of the fact that they would not sign as long as the Rwandan army remained on their territory. So for us, it is not a surprise,” an African diplomat said.