Countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda reach an accord on economic cooperation, focusing on sectors such as energy and the supply of minerals.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have taken a significant step towards economic cooperation as part of their 2025 peace agreement. The focus is on coordinating mining activities, particularly around critical minerals like coltan and lithium, in the mineral-rich but conflict-prone eastern DRC region.
The agreement, which was brokered by the State Department of the United States, aims to bring transparency to mineral supply chains to curb illicit trade, fostering economic development and stability in the DRC. This cooperation is framed within a broader regional economic integration framework that also covers energy, infrastructure, national park management, tourism, and public health.
The peace agreement, signed in June 2025, is designed to reduce hostilities, facilitate disarmament, and promote cooperation in managing natural resources, which historically have fueled conflict. The U.S.'s involvement also signals an intent to open the region to Western investment, leveraging these economic ties to bolster peace and prosperity.
Specifically, the transparency and coordination in mining under this deal are expected to reassure Western investors by mitigating the risks associated with illegal mineral trade and conflict financing. The U.S. State Department’s emphasis on joint coordination and the inclusion of mineral supply chains in the economic framework illustrate a strategic linkage between economic cooperation, conflict resolution, and the attraction of foreign investment, all aimed at stabilizing a historically volatile region.
The DRC and Rwanda are to form a joint security coordination mechanism within 30 days, as per the agreement. The first meeting is scheduled to be held on August 7 in Addis Ababa. The countries are committed to ensuring that the minerals trade no longer provides funding to armed groups.
The agreement also includes elements of cooperation on energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health. Notably, the Ruzizi III hydropower project and Lake Kivu methane exploitation are the only specific projects mentioned in the statement, despite the U.S.'s emphasis on critical minerals.
The DRC is engaged in direct talks with M23, and both sides have pledged to sign a separate peace agreement by August 18. The agreement links economic integration and respect for territorial integrity with the promise of billions of dollars of investments.
The agreement does not specify any timeline for the implementation of the joint security coordination mechanism, 30 days after its signing. It also does not provide details on the plan agreed upon last year to monitor and verify the withdrawal of Rwandan soldiers within three months.
Before the finalization of the agreement, there will be an input period for the private sector and civil society. The countries have pledged to prioritise financing for the Ruzizi project and work together to exploit methane gas sustainably. Rwanda and the DRC affirmed that each country has "full, sovereign control" over the exploitation, processing, and export of its natural resources.
In summary, the economic cooperation between DRC and Rwanda centered on mineral resource management forms a critical pillar of their peace process, promising to reduce conflict drivers linked to natural resources and to attract Western economic involvement for regional stability and growth.
- The peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, signed in June 2025, aims to reduce hostilities and promote cooperation in managing natural resources, particularly critical minerals like coltan and lithium.
- The U.S.'s involvement in brokering the peace agreement is intended to open the region to Western investment, leveraging economic ties to bolster peace and prosperity in the DRC.
- The agreement includes transparency and coordination in mining activities, which is expected to reassure Western investors and mitigate risks associated with illegal mineral trade and conflict financing.
- The DRC and Rwanda have agreed to form a joint security coordination mechanism and have pledged to ensure that the minerals trade no longer funds armed groups.
- The agreement also covers elements of cooperation on energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health, with specific mention of the Ruzizi III hydropower project and Lake Kivu methane exploitation.
- The DRC is engaged in direct talks with M23 and has pledged to sign a separate peace agreement by August 18, which links economic integration and respect for territorial integrity with the promise of billions of dollars of investments.
- Before the finalization of the agreement, there will be an input period for the private sector and civil society, with both countries prioritizing financing for the Ruzizi project and working together to exploit methane gas sustainably, acknowledging their "full, sovereign control" over the exploitation, processing, and export of their natural resources.
