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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have reached an outline for an economic cooperation agreement, the first accord between the two nations since a peace deal was signed in June.
The announcement was made by the U.S. late Friday, following a two-day meeting in Washington.
The new “economic integration framework” is a component of the peace deal, which was brokered with the help of the United States.
A primary goal of the accord is to enhance the transparency of supply chains for critical minerals such as coltan and lithium, with a target implementation date by the end of September.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that the two countries have agreed to coordinate efforts in several key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, mining, national park management, tourism, and public health.
The peace deal seeks to end decades of conflict in eastern DRC, a resource-rich region bordering Rwanda. Violence surged earlier this year when the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group seized control of the cities of Goma and Bukavu.
The DRC and M23 signed a permanent ceasefire on June 19, just two days after the Kinshasa government finalised an agreement with U.S. company Kobold Metals to explore for critical minerals.
The DRC is the world’s leading producer of cobalt and holds significant deposits of other valuable minerals vital for modern technology, including coltan for electronics and lithium for electric vehicle batteries.
Representatives from the DRC and Rwanda, along with observers from the U.S., Qatar, and the African Union, participated in the Washington meetings.
The U.S. described the economic accord as a “significant step” towards advancing security and economic cooperation between the two neighbours.
Analysts, while welcoming the peace deal, remain sceptical about the prospects for long-term peace due to the continued influence of militias in eastern DRC.
The UN reports that the recent violence has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
