Kinshasa, July 3rd, 2025 (CPA).- The peace agreement signed in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda does not mean that DRC is giving up on justice, has explained the Minister of State in Charge of Foreign Affairs on Thursday during a press briefing in Kinshasa. « The agreement is not intended to humiliate a partner. It is a diplomatic compromise. This does not mean that we are renouncing truth or justice. The reports are damning. The truth is known. What we must now build is a solid ecosystem capable of ensuring that justice is done, that responsibilities are established, and that violations are not repeated, » has declared Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. Responding to criticism that the text lacks a clear section on justice, the Congolese Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs has emphasised that this is not an exhaustive document, but rather a political compromise between two sovereign States. ‘This is not an agreement that claims to solve all problems. It should be read as a text that focuses on certain priority missions, but which is part of a wider ecosystem of actions and initiatives,’ she has said. For her, justice is not limited to what is written in a treaty. ‘Even if this issue is not explicitly mentioned in the agreement, it retains its full value. Justice is progressing through public debate, through investigations, through international mechanisms,’ she has insisted, remembering the recent decision by the Human Rights Council to send an international commission of inquiry. Standing alongside the Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs, the Minister in charge of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya, has emphasised on the importance of this agreement in the regional dynamic and the diplomatic repositioning of DRC. ‘Don’t forget that this partnership is also the result of a vision of the President of the Republic. His speech in Washington marks an opening towards regional cooperation and shared prosperity. This is not an end in itself, but a commitment to rebuild our community, revitalise our economies and restore the dignity of the victims,’ he has indicated. Mr Muyaya has also acknowledged the financial and logistical challenges that are slowing down certain processes, particularly in the area of transitional justice, but he has reaffirmed the commitment and determination of the Congolese government. ‘Peace, as precious as it is, remains fragile. It must be accompanied by concrete actions, justice, remembrance and guarantees of non-repetition,’ he has said.
No economic commitments provided for in the agreement
Faced with suspicions of secret economic concessions or bilateral deals under foreign influence, the Congolese Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs has clarified that no economic commitments are provided for in the Washington agreement. ‘The agreement does not provide for any economic compensation or binding economic commitments between DRC and Rwanda,’ she has said. This clarification was intended to reassure the Congolese public and international partners that there were no hidden commercial transactions behind the diplomatic text. ‘I would like to make it clear that this Peace Agreement is neither an economic treaty between DRC and the United States nor a bilateral trade agreement between DRC and Rwanda,’ has added Ms Kayikwamba, referring to the role of the United States in the signing of the agreement. According to her, it is above all a political and security agreement, focused on ‘concrete commitments’, namely respect for national sovereignty, the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of foreign troops, the end of support for armed groups, whether M23 or others, the neutralisation of residual threats and the sustainable return of peace to eastern DRC. Another important point raised by the minister is the management of armed groups, for which Therese Kayikwamba has firmly rejected any idea of automatic integration or hidden amnesty. ‘We are not pursuing a policy of generalised integration of armed groups. This will be done on the basis of moral and physical aptitude criteria, but also in the light of lessons learned from the past,’ she has stressed. « After the signing of the peace agreement in Washington, the real work begins now. This is the work that concerns us all as Congolese men and women, as committed citizens. Whether we are members of the government, members of civil society, members of the press or committed citizens who are keen to see peace materialise in our country, our work begins now, starting with the appropriation of this agreement, its understanding and, of course, its reading, » has concluded the Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs. Through this exercise in accountability, the Congolese Executive has indeed begun the work of raising public awareness of the content and implications of the peace agreement signed on June 27th in Washington. CPA/Masebi/Lilonda/Mukendi/Kinzala