Rwanda to Sign Cooperation Agreement with DRC

According to a report by Reuters cited by Mining Weekly, a draft economic framework seen by Reuters shows that Rwanda and the DRC will work with third parties, including the US, to reform and improve their mineral supply chains in an effort to stimulate investment following the signing of the Washington peace agreement.

A source familiar with the matter said the countries involved have agreed to the draft, which is part of the peace agreement. The draft is currently being circulated for feedback from relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, multilateral banks, and donor agencies from several countries.

The source added that the DRC and Rwanda are likely to hold a meeting in early October to finalise the draft. Later, the heads of state of the two countries will sign the document.

The 17-page framework agreement was released after the two sides signed an agreement during talks convened by the Trump administration in Washington in June. The agreement aims to end a war that has claimed thousands of lives and attract billions in Western investment into a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium.

The draft is based on a framework agreement reached in August and proposes implementation measures and coordination mechanisms. The August framework agreement called for cooperation in energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health.

The DRC, Rwanda, and the US Department of State did not respond to requests for comment.

Regulatory Measures and Reforms

According to the draft, the parties will commit to working with the US and other international partners to further refine regulatory approaches and reform measures "to minimise the investment risks for private enterprises," combat illegal trade, and enhance transparency.

They will also adopt external transparency mechanisms, including following guidelines from the OECD and other institutions.

The framework agreement also calls for third-party inspections of mines and the establishment of cross-border special economic zones with private industry partners.

The framework also establishes coordination mechanisms, including an annual high-level summit on regional economic integration, as well as meetings of a steering committee and technical working groups.

As signatories to the agreement signed in Washington in June, the DRC and Rwanda agreed to launch an economic integration agenda within 90 days.

Under the agreement, the parties committed to implementing the 2024 accord, under which Rwandan troops will withdraw from eastern DRC within 90 days. The DRC’s military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) will also end within the same timeframe.

Obstacles

However, numerous obstacles also hindered the timely implementation of the agreement.

A Western diplomat stated, "One of the main obstacles to finalising and signing this agreement is that other peace processes have already stalled." He added that Rwanda had not yet withdrawn its troops, and operations against the FDLR had not yet commenced.

The diplomat noted that the Doha process, aimed at mediating between the DRC government and the M23 movement, was progressing with difficulty. Earlier this year, the M23 movement swiftly took control of the two largest cities in eastern DRC and resource-rich mining areas.

"Security has not improved, making it difficult for partners and even relevant parties to engage in economic cooperation," the unnamed diplomat said.

This month, a DRC official told Reuters, "We will not consider economic cooperation until Rwanda withdraws from DRC territory."

The DRC believes that the plunder of mineral wealth is a key factor in the conflict between its military and the M23 movement.

A copy of a document seen by Reuters showed that in the agreement released last month, both Rwanda and the DRC affirmed each country's "full sovereignty" over the development, processing, and export of natural resources, and recognised the importance of building mineral processing and transformation capacity in each country.

Both countries also committed to ensuring that funds from mineral trade would no longer finance armed groups, to building a world-class modern mining industry in the region, and to fostering interaction in the development of cross-border mineral supply chains.