DRC, Rwanda agree on new steps to monitor peace deal

The DRC and Rwanda thanked the US, Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission for their support throughout the peace process. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have agreed to advance two initiatives aimed at strengthening monitoring and verification of the implementation of their Washington Accords, following the sixth meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism in Geneva on August 12-13.Representatives of the two countries, along with the United States, Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission met on August 12-13 for the sixth meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM).In a joint statement issued on Friday by the governments of Qatar, the United States, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Togo, as the African Union mediator, along with the African Union Commission, the parties asked the United States to consider the two initiatives and provide feedback at the next JSCM meeting.Joint Statement on the Sixth Meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism for the Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of RwandaDoha | August 14, 2026The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the… pic.twitter.com/BkabCUFqXW— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 14, 2026 “The parties agreed to a trilateral planning conference in October 2026 that will culminate in a revised Operations Order guiding their coordinated efforts,” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.The African Union Commission briefed participants on the outcomes of its High-Level Meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, held on July 24-25.The DRC also presented its Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Plan for the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), responding to questions from JSCM members.“The JSCM held a virtual session with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) to draw on its operational experience conducting DDR in the region.” the statement added.The DRC and Rwanda thanked the US, Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission for their support throughout the peace process. They agreed to hold the next JSCM meeting on September 16-17 in Geneva.Qatar has played a key role in efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC, facilitating talks between the Congolese government and AFC/M23.Doha hosted direct negotiations between the two sides, which culminated in the signing of the Doha Framework for Peace in November 2025. Qatar has also participated alongside the US, Togo and the African Union Commission in the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism supporting implementation of the DRC-Rwanda peace agreement.The Washington Peace Agreement was signed by the DRC and Rwanda on June 27, 2025, as part of efforts to advance peace and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.