Congo and Rwanda agree on steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Congo

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GOMA, Congo (AP) — Congolese and Rwandan officials met in the United States and agreed on coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Congo, where government troops are fighting rebels backed by neighboring Rwanda, according to a joint statement.

The statement issued by the Congolese, Rwandan and U.S. governments said that Congolese and Rwandan officials met on Tuesday and Wednesday to advance progress in eastern Congo as peace efforts led by the U.S. and partners including Qatar have stalled and violence continued.

The mineral-rich eastern Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda. The M23 made an unprecedented advance into the region early last year, seizing key cities as they quickly expanded their presence.

U.S. President Donald Trump has emerged as a key peace facilitator as he tried to rally both countries to commit to a permanent ceasefire while at the same time paving way for American companies to gain access to Congo’s minerals, which are critical for much of the world’s technology from jets to mobile phones.

Both Congo and Rwanda in this week's meeting committed to efforts that revolve around the agreement that Trump facilitated between the two presidents last year.

The sides agreed to specific but unnamed measures that will support each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said. They also agreed to the “scheduled disengagement of forces as well as the lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda” in defined Congolese territory.

Although neither Rwanda nor M23 have publicly acknowledged the presence of Rwandan troops, U.N. experts have reported evidence of their involvement. Rwanda frames its role as defensive measures to protect its territory from Hutu rebels responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The U.S. talks agreed that Congo will make “intensified efforts” to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the statement said. The armed group was formed by mostly Hutus who fled to Congo after the genocide.