Experts React: The DRC and Rwanda Agreed to a US-backed Peace Deal. Can Critical Minerals Help End This Conflict?

Jun 27, 2025 | Atlantic Council
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On Friday, the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a US-brokered peace deal aimed at ending a brutal conflict that has left thousands dead and millions displaced. Under the terms of the deal, the DRC and Rwanda agreed to respect each other’s territorial integrity and cease hostilities, while paving the way for greater US investment in the DRC’s critical minerals. Trump indicated that the two countries’ presidents would soon return to the White House for a signing ceremony for the “Washington Accord.” However, significant concerns remain, as the M23 militia, the Rwanda-backed rebel group that captured the major Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, did not participate in these negotiations.