The United States has announced that President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi will meet in Washington on November 13, 2025, in a renewed attempt to revive peace talks between Kigali and Kinshasa, sources confirmed to Jeune Afrique and Africa Intelligence.
The meeting, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, follows a failed attempt in October, when last-minute disagreements prevented the signing of a final peace accord intended to end years of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Diplomatic insiders say the DRC delegation withdrew from the planned signing after rejecting an economic cooperation agreement that was meant to accompany the peace deal. “President Tshisekedi instructed his team not to sign,” a Rwandan official told reporters.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, accused Kinshasa of stalling progress. “The Congolese delegation often comes unprepared and denies the existence of the FDLR,” he said, referring to the Rwandan rebel group accused of operating freely in eastern Congo. “It’s hard to move forward under such circumstances.”
The disarmament of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) remains a key sticking point. Rwanda insists on full demobilization before lifting its border defenses, while Kinshasa claims the group poses no threat.
Earlier this month, FARDC spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sylvain Bomusa Efomi Ekenge urged FDLR combatants to surrender, but analysts doubt the sincerity of the move, citing years of alleged collaboration between Congolese forces and the rebel group.
As tensions simmer, FARDC troops are reportedly regrouping to confront the AFC/M23 insurgency near Uvira, with support from Burundian soldiers recently reinforced in the region.
Despite the setbacks, diplomatic sources say the Washington summit could mark a crucial step toward breaking the deadlock. “President Trump appears determined to bring both sides back to the table,” Jeune Afrique reported.
Whether Kagame and Tshisekedi can translate that determination into lasting peace, however, remains uncertain.
