U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, announced the development in a statement issued on Thursday night, following what he described as 'constructive conversations' with President Paul Kagame and his DRC counterpart Félix Tshisekedi.
The conversation followed the submission of the respective draft agreement versions by DRC and Rwanda earlier this month.
'We have provided the first draft of a peace agreement to both sides and will work with the parties to iterate on the agreement to reach consensus,' Boulos said.
'Resolving long-standing differences is hard work, and we are committed to seeing this through. We look forward to further engagement to come to a resolution," he added.
The draft agreement comes ahead of a landmark ceremony scheduled for June at the White House, where Presidents Kagame and Tshisekedi are expected to formally sign the peace accord in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
On the same occasion, additional agreements on economic cooperation between the United States and the two African nations are expected to be concluded.
If all proceeds as planned, the deal could pave the way for significant American investments in both Rwanda and the DRC, marking a major step forward in regional development and bilateral relations.
The U.S. has emphasised that before the agreement can be finalised, both parties must meet a series of preconditions.
For the DRC, this includes addressing internal security issues such as the disbanding of the FDLR militiaâ€"a group formed by the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwandaâ€"and implementing governance reforms to ensure a more equitable distribution of national resources.
The peace process has gained momentum in recent months, with notable diplomatic progress made during a series of negotiations held in Doha, Qatar.
Delegations from Rwanda, the DRC, the United States, and Qatar participated in the talks. Rwanda was represented by Brig Gen Jean Paul Nyirubutama, Deputy Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), and Brig Gen Patrick Karuretwa, Head of International Military Cooperation.
Talks initially mediated under the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) frameworks are now being facilitated by the African Union, with Togo taking a lead role in guiding the final stages of the process.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/us-presents-draft-peace-deal-to-rwanda-and-drc-leaders
