NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 3— The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the June 27 Peace Agreement, following the second meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee (JOC)held in Washington, D.C.
The meeting brought together representatives from the DRC, Rwanda, the United States, Qatar, Togo (as African Union facilitator), and the African Union Commission to review progress and challenges in implementing the landmark agreement aimed at restoring peace and stability in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region.
In a joint statement, the committee members acknowledged delays in the implementation of certain provisions but emphasized their shared determination to accelerate efforts.
“Discussions focused on addressing recent challenges to implementation, including reports of violence in eastern DRC, and identifying actionable steps to ensure compliance with the Agreement’s provisions,” read the statement released by US Department of State’s office of the Spokesperson.
Among the key outcomes, members welcomed the merger of the East African Community, Southern African Development Community, and African Union technical secretariats into a single independent joint secretariat, which will play a central role in supporting the peace process moving forward.
The two governments also reaffirmed their commitment to the return of refugees, in line with outcomes from the August 8 Tripartite High-Level Ministerial.
In security matters, the JOC welcomed the upcoming meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM), which will focus on neutralizing support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) armed group and advancing Rwanda’s easing of defensive measures as stipulated in the agreement.
Ahead of the JSCM session in Doha, both countries pledged to establish technical, intelligence, and military channels for direct information exchange.
The DRC reiterated that it has no policy of supporting the FDLR and vowed to take concrete action to back this position.
Rwanda, in turn, reaffirmed respect for the DRC’s territorial integrity and pledged to ensure its actions align with this commitment.
Both sides emphasized their obligation to cease all state support for non-state armed groups, except where necessary to facilitate the peace agreement.
Qatar provided updates on the ongoing negotiations in Doha between the DRC and the M23/AFC group, stressing their importance in securing lasting peace in eastern Congo.
Both the DRC and Rwanda expressed support for the Doha process and committed to helping achieve a successful outcome.
The JOC reaffirmed its commitment to hold regular sessions to monitor progress, resolve challenges, and ensure the effective implementation of the peace agreement.
The DRC and Rwanda also acknowledged the vital contributions of the United States, Qatar, and the African Union in supporting peace and stability efforts in the region.
