Central Africa: Rwanda-DRC Peace Deal

guest column
By Daniel T. Makokera

After 30 years of bloodshed, proxy wars, and political theatre, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement that many are calling historic. But in the Great Lakes region, where hope and disappointment walk side by side, it is fair to ask: Is this the beginning of peace—or another carefully choreographed illusion?

For three decades, the conflict between these two neighbours has shaped the lives of millions. Born from the geopolitical shockwaves of the 1994 genocide, the wars in Congo have drawn in foreign armies, warlords, rebels, mining interests, and global powers. The scars run deep—villages burned, families displaced, minerals looted, trust shattered.

The new deal, witnessed by an impressive lineup of African leaders and facilitated in part by international pressure—including from Donald Trump, who surprisingly re-entered the African diplomatic theatre—aims to silence the guns. That in itself is significant. When American, Qatari, and African diplomacy converge, it signals that the world is tired of watching eastern Congo burn.

But the elephant not in the room is the M23 rebel movement. They were not part of the negotiation, even though they control large areas of North Kivu and sit at the centre of the tension between Kigali and Kinshasa. How do you secure peace without the group fighting the war? Their absence leaves a gap that polite diplomacy cannot paper over. Rwanda retains leverage through M23—whether acknowledged or denied—and Congo cannot fully implement peace while the rebels remain active. A deal without them is a beginning, not a solution.

Then comes the question of minerals—the ghost that haunts every peace effort. Cobalt, coltan, gold, and rare earths lie under Congolese soil, powering smartphones, electric cars, and global military hardware. Instability keeps prices low and supply flexible. Peace threatens powerful networks. Any attempt to stabilise eastern Congo must confront the uncomfortable truth: minerals have financed this war as much as politics.

Still, the symbolism of African leaders standing together—SADC, the AU, EAC members—should not be dismissed. It suggests continental recognition that Congo’s conflict is not merely a local problem but a continental wound. Yet symbolism cannot replace substance. If Africa insists on “African solutions to African problems,” why did negotiations happen in Washington and Doha? Why not Addis Ababa, Kigali, or Kinshasa? The contradiction is hard to ignore.

This raises another uncomfortable question: Has the DRC pulled off a diplomatic coup? Possibly. By securing a deal without legitimising M23, Kinshasa has positioned itself as the side willing to pursue peace while painting Kigali as the side responsible for what comes next some are saying. But diplomacy without disarmament is little more than performance.

So where do we go from here?

The region needs honest dialogue, including with armed groups. It needs a truth and reconciliation process to confront three decades of trauma. It needs transparent mineral governance that ends the quiet incentives for conflict. And it needs a regional commitment—not just handshakes on foreign soil.

The peace deal is an opportunity. Whether it becomes a turning point or another footnote in a long tragedy depends on what happens next. The people of eastern Congo have waited long enough.

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Daniel Makokera is a renowed media personality who has worked as journalist, television anchor, producer and conference presenter for over 20 years. Throughout his career as presenter and anchor, he has travelled widely across the continent and held exclusive interviews with some of Africa’s most illustrious leaders. These include former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former South African presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He currently is the CEO of Pamuzinda Productions based in South Africa.

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