The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a pivotal agreement to advance peace in the DRC’s conflict-ridden east, according to Angola, which has mediated the process. The agreement was reached on Monday, when the foreign ministers of Kinshasa and Kigali approved a “concept of operations” document outlining terms for Rwandan troop withdrawal. However, the Angolan government, which announced the development, did not disclose the specifics of the procedures to be adopted. A previous draft, proposed in August, made dismantling the Hutu-led Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia—a group Kigali deems a security threat—a precondition for Rwanda’s disengagement. However, there are no details on what became of the draft proposal. With this agreement, the DRC will hope for some respite in its eastern region, which has been embroiled in violence for three decades.
SOURCE: FRANCE 24
