The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, has agreed to meet with President Paul Kagame in Washington, D.C., next week.
The U.S. government has been trying for some time to bring the two heads of state together in Washington, D.C., to sign a “final agreement” to accompany the peace agreement that Rwanda signed with the DRC on June 27, 2025.
It was planned that Presidents Kagame and Tshisekedi would meet in Washington, D.C. on October 23, but it was not possible because the DRC delegation refused to sign the draft economic cooperation agreement.
As Rwanda and the DRC agreed on the draft, and signed it on November 7, hopes that the two heads of state would meet in Washington soon grew.
The plan was postponed to November 13, but it was also postponed “at the last minute” for unknown reasons. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, explained that President Kagame and Tshisekedi had agreed to meet.
In a press conference on November 27, President Kagame confirmed that he is ready to go to Washington DC to discuss, agree or sign, because Rwanda is always ready to do what is required to achieve peace.
He said, “I would tell you that regarding the delay, this does not come from Rwanda or have anything to do with it. I want to confirm it. It could be from someone else…we are waiting. They were saying that it could be possible in early December, I don’t know if tomorrow someone will say, ‘No, I will not go to Washington’ because they had a dream last night or were advised by a preacher that doing so is a bad idea, and they will say, ‘I will not go there.'”
President Kagame told reporters that if Tshisekedi changes his plan again, he cannot do anything about it, but that he is confident that the mediator is willing to make a positive step towards reconciliation between the two.
“So we will look forward to each other with confidence. It is not just a visit to Washington DC, but taking steps towards reaching an understanding that will help us begin a journey that will bring peace to our region and our countries.”
On November 27, Africa Intelligence reported that “the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who is under pressure from the United States, will meet with Donald Trump’s team on December 4 and sign a peace agreement with his Rwandan counterpart.”
The United States says that the “final agreement” between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will help the Great Lakes region achieve peace and sustainable development, through economic cooperation.
It is expected that as part of its implementation, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will work together to promote mineral exploration, build the Rusizi III hydroelectric dam, promote trade and the health sector, and protect the park.
But all of this will be subject to the implementation of security measures, including the destruction of the FDLR terrorist group and the dismantling of Rwanda’s security measures.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said that the DRC military is still supporting and cooperating with the FDLR, rather than destroying it. He explained that destroying the group would pave the way for Rwanda to dismantle its security measures, but that if it is not done, regional security will continue to be undermined.
