DRC and Rwanda Resume Geneva Talks Over Peace Accords

Officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda resumed negotiations in Geneva on September 16 and 17, 2026, to implement the 2025 Washington Accords. Mediated by the United States, Qatar, Togo, and the African Union Commission, the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism talks focus on reciprocal security commitments. Rwanda demands the neutralization of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), while the DRC seeks the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese soil.

Diplomatic friction persists as Rwanda rejected a recent DRC protocol for FDLR disarmament, arguing the group must be neutralized rather than negotiated with. Congolese Minister of Information Patrick Muyaya asserted that the DRC is meeting its commitments through demobilization. Meanwhile, President Paul Kagame characterized the agreement on the FDLR as "insufficient."

Parallel to these state-to-state talks, a separate Qatar-led dialogue continues between the DRC government and the Congo River Alliance, the political umbrella for the M23 rebels. Despite these efforts, fighting persists in North and South Kivu. The M23, which captured Goma and Bukavu, recently accused the Congolese army of violating ceasefires and shooting down a humanitarian aircraft on August 27, an allegation the army has not addressed.