Speaking at the Rwanda Convention 2025 in Texas, USA, running from July 4 to 6, he highlighted the significance of the deal, which aims to address longstanding tensions in the Great Lakes region.
The convention, resuming after a six-year hiatus, brought together hundreds of Rwandans from the diaspora and guests from Rwanda to celebrate culture, unity, and national development.
The peace agreement, brokered in Washington with U.S. support, is comprehensive, covering political, security, economic, and humanitarian aspects.
'We are optimistic because those three aspects are taken care of.
However, we are cautiously optimistic because we have an experience with the DRC of signing agreements without implementing them,' he noted.
Minister Nduhungirehe emphasized that Rwanda's security concerns, particularly the threat posed by the FDLR, a genocidal force, are central to the agreement.
'We have decided together to ensure that this movement, this FDLR, is neutralized once and for all, which will allow Rwanda to lift its defensive measures,' he stated.
On the economic front, the agreement fosters joint investments between Rwanda and the DRC, supported by U.S. companies.
These include managing shared natural resources like the Virunga and Volcanoes National Parks, methane gas in Lake Kivu, hydropower via the CZ3 power plant, and the mineral value chain for electronics.
'This kind of positive collaboration would be a good incentive for permanent peace and prosperity in our region,' Nduhungirehe noted.
Politically, the agreement supports dialogue between the DRC government and the M23 movement, addressing root causes of conflict such as the persecution and marginalization of Congolese Tutsi communities.
Ongoing talks in Doha, Qatar, mediated by Qatar, mark progress, as the DRC has now agreed to engage with M23, a commitment absent in prior failed agreements.
However, Nduhungirehe tempered optimism with caution, citing the DRC's history of signing but not implementing agreements.
Since the 1999 Lusaka ceasefire, at least 10 agreements, including the 2009 Goma accord that gave M23 its name, have gone unimplemented.
He also raised concerns about DRC's militarization, including new weapons, attack drones, armored vehicles, and mercenaries, such as Colombian operatives hired by Blackwater during Washington negotiations.
'We know that the DRC has not implemented previous agreements… Rwanda will do its part of the deal, and we hope that the DRC will also follow through,' he said.
Addressing differences from past efforts, Nduhungirehe noted that the current agreement builds on the Luanda Process, mediated by Angola's President Joao Lourenço in 2024, which collapsed due to the DRC's refusal to negotiate with M23.
The inclusion of economic cooperation and U.S. support distinguishes this deal. He also responded to critics of the Trump administration, which facilitated the agreement, saying, 'So what? Having interests in the region is not a problem, provided they are interested in helping Rwanda and DRC achieve peace and stability.'
IGIHE
