Rwandan President Paul Kagame has vowed his country will honour its commitments under a recent US-brokered peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Speaking Friday at a news conference in Kigali, Kagame praised American mediation efforts and emphasised that Rwanda would not derail the implementation of the deal.
The agreement, signed on June 27 in Washington, aims to end years of conflict in eastern Congo through a ceasefire and joint regional measures.
It addresses core Congolese concerns, including territorial sovereignty, armed group disarmament, and long-term regional stability.
Kagame stressed Rwanda’s willingness to cooperate fully but warned that failure by other parties to act in good faith could reignite tensions.
“You will never find Rwanda at fault with implementing what we have agreed,” Kagame said. “But if others take us back to the problem, we deal with it.”
He described the crisis in eastern Congo as largely driven by external influences, requiring sincere cooperation from all involved for peace to hold.
Kagame also thanked former US President Donald Trump for his administration’s role, adding that ultimate responsibility lies with regional actors, not Washington.
“If it doesn’t work, the US is not to blame. It’s our task in the region to deliver,” Kagame said.
In Kinshasa, Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba echoed similar optimism, pledging her country’s full commitment to peace and development.
She said the government would work tirelessly to stabilise the eastern provinces and the wider Great Lakes region.
Violence in eastern Congo has displaced over 500,000 people and killed more than 3,000 since the resurgence of the M23 rebel group in 2021, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
The peace accord now faces the critical test of implementation across a fragile and volatile region.
