US to host Congo, Rwanda officials for talks on stalled peace efforts
The administration of Donald Trump has invited delegations from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Washington, D.C. in a renewed effort to revive peace talks aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.
The discussions are scheduled to take place at the U.S. State Department and will involve both bilateral and joint sessions between representatives of the two countries. According to reports, the talks are being coordinated by officials from the White House National Security Council alongside the U.S. Africa bureau.
This marks the first meeting between the two sides since early this month, when the United States imposed sanctions on Rwandan military officials, accusing Kigali of backing the M23 rebel group—an allegation Rwanda has consistently denied.
Among Rwanda’s representatives are Mauro De Lorenzo, a senior advisor to Paul Kagame, and Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa, who oversees international military cooperation. The Congolese delegation is expected to include Patrick Luabeya, a special envoy to President Félix Tshisekedi.
Washington has maintained that Rwanda supports the M23 rebel group, which continues to clash with Congolese government forces in the volatile eastern region. The accusations prompted sanctions and raised the possibility of further economic measures should the talks fail to yield progress.
Meanwhile, Kinshasa is also under increasing pressure following a recent drone strike in Goma that killed three people, including a French national working for the United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF. Responsibility for the attack remains unclear.
U.S. officials have expressed concern that assigning blame to one side alone could escalate military tensions, particularly if it leads to intensified operations by Congolese forces.
In parallel with the diplomatic efforts, Washington is also hosting the Powering Africa Summit, bringing together energy ministers from across the continent. Among the attendees is Congolese Minister of Petroleum Acacia Bandubola Mbongo, alongside U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
