The United States has publicly announced that it is ready to take concrete measures to ensure that the Washington Agreement signed between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda is respected and fully implemented.
This statement followed high-level talks held in Washington at a time when security in eastern DRC continues to deteriorate.
On Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with the DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner. Their discussions focused on bilateral relations, regional security, and the role the DRC is set to play on the United Nations Security Council.
These talks took place as the DRC prepares to take up its seat on the Security Council in August—a position Kinshasa says it intends to use to highlight the worsening security situation in eastern Congo and the long-standing conflicts that have shaped its relations with neighboring countries.
📰 Also Read This:
In a statement released by the U.S. State Department’s spokesperson, Christopher Landau said Washington expects the Washington Agreement to be respected and fully implemented. He emphasized that the United States will not simply observe from the sidelines but is prepared to take action should any party fail to honor its commitments.
The brief but weighty statement also noted that both sides agreed on the significant role private sector investment can play in consolidating peace and security in the region, through economic development and job creation, ensuring that peace is not based solely on military efforts but also on the tangible benefits delivered to local populations.
The conflict in eastern DRC was at the center of the Washington discussions, particularly as AFC/M23 has recently made significant advances, capturing various areas in North and South Kivu provinces. The Congolese government says these hostilities have triggered a serious humanitarian crisis, with more than 500,000 people displaced from their homes in recent weeks.
Minister Kayikwamba told U.S. officials that the Kinshasa government believes M23 is supported by Rwandan forces, accusing Kigali of playing a direct role in undermining the implementation of the Washington Agreement. She said Rwanda’s actions amount to a violation of its commitments and undermine the peace initiative promoted by the U.S. President.
On Monday and Tuesday, December 15 and 16, 2025, Minister Kayikwamba held several high-level meetings with members of President Trump’s administration as well as with U.S. lawmakers. These discussions highlighted that the United States continues to closely monitor the situation in Congo, particularly given its potential impact on the security of the entire Great Lakes region.
Among the officials with whom Minister Kayikwamba held in-depth talks were Dan Dunham, Director for Africa at the National Security Council (NSC); Rudolph Atallah, Deputy Director for Counterterrorism at the NSC; Congressman Chris Smith, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa; and John Tomaszewski, Senior Adviser on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In all these meetings, Kayikwamba reaffirmed that the Congolese government supports U.S. efforts aimed at restoring the territorial integrity of the DRC, while thanking Washington for its role in pushing for peace in the region. The Congolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the minister particularly welcomed Christopher Landau’s remarks, which signaled that the United States would not tolerate violations of the agreement.
However, even as Kinshasa continues to accuse Rwanda of failing to respect the Washington Agreement, questions remain about whether the Congolese government itself is prepared to implement its own obligations. The agreement requires concrete actions from both sides, including the dismantling of armed groups that threaten the security of neighboring countries.
One of the most frequently cited issues is the FDLR, an armed group that has operated in eastern DRC for many years and which Rwanda says continues to threaten its security. Analysts question whether Kinshasa has both the political will and the capacity to dismantle the group entirely, given that in the past it has signed agreements without fully honoring its commitments.
As a result, the Washington Agreement continues to be viewed with skepticism, with each side accusing the other of failing to meet its responsibilities. Nevertheless, the U.S. statement suggests that Washington is seeking to move from words to action, a shift that could significantly alter the trajectory of the crisis in the coming weeks.
