STORY: Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement on Friday (June 27), raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year.

The agreement marks a breakthrough in talks held by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and aims to attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals.

At a ceremony with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, the two African countries' foreign ministers signed the agreement pledging to implement a 2024 deal that would see Rwandan troops withdraw from eastern Congo within 90 days, according to a version initialed by technical teams last week and seen by Reuters.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe called the deal "a turning point." Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said "the agreement must now be followed by disengagement."

Rwanda has sent at least 7,000 soldiers over the border, according to analysts and diplomats, in support of the M23 rebels, who seized eastern Congo's two largest cities and lucrative mining areas in a lightning advance earlier this year.

The gains this year by M23, the latest cycle in a decades-old conflict with roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, sparked fears that a wider war could draw in Congo's neighbors.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 27, 2025) (STATE TV - Access all)

1. RWANDAN FOREIGN MINISTER OLIVIER NDUHUNGIREHE , U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FOREIGN MINISTER THÉRÈSE KAYIKWAMBA WAGNER ENTERING THE ROOM AT STATE DEPARTMENT, ATTENDEES APPLAUDING AND SITTING DOWN

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3. SIGNING CEREMONY

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[FOLLOWING COMMENTS ARE SPOKEN BEFORE THE SIGNING CEREMONY]

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:[VISUAL STARTS WITH MC AND GOES TO RUBIO]

“Thank you and am honored all of you are here today. I am honored to be joined by my counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo and from Rwanda and the hard work you both put in to make this happen. This was not easy. And there's still work to be done, obviously, in terms of implementation. But we're very honored you're both here and it's been an honor to work with both of you.”

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7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FOREIGN MINISTER THÉRÈSE KAYIKWAMBA WAGNER, SAYING:

“These are not just words on paper. They must now be translated into action. The justice, accountability and political will. This peace agreement is the starting point, not the end goal. It must now be followed by disengagement, justice and the return of displaced families and the return of refugees, both to the DRC and Rwanda.”

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9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RWANDAN FOREIGN MINISTER OLIVIER NDUHUNGIREHE, SAYING:

“We must acknowledge that there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region and beyond, because many previous agreements have not been implemented and there is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy. But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached. Rwanda stands ready to work with the DRC to deliver on our joint commitments.”

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11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“We think sometimes about peace it's not just about ending wars, it's about and it's not just about saving lives, it's about allowing people to live. It's about allowing people to now have dreams and hopes for a better life, for prosperity, for economic opportunity, for a family reunification, for all the things that make life worth living. Those things become impossible when there's war and when there's conflict. So, we're grateful to have played the role we've played. We acknowledge and recognize there's still more work to be done. But we thank you all very much for being a part of this historic and important day. This is really why I wanted this job or why I embraced this job so much is moments like this.”

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