DRC and Rwanda to hold Geneva talks on Washington Accords implementation

September 15, 2026 at 05:26 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda are due to reconvene in Geneva on September 16 and 17 for talks on implementing the 2025 Washington Accords. The two-day Joint Security Coordination Mechanism meeting will include mediators from the United States, Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission. The talks come as fighting continues in eastern DRC and key security commitments remain unresolved.

Key Facts

The Geneva meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism is scheduled for September 16 and 17.
Mediators from the United States, Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission will attend the talks.
The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity were signed on December 4, reaffirming the June 27, 2025 peace agreement.
Two central obligations — neutralisation of the FDLR and Rwanda's lifting of defensive measures — have not been declared complete.
Clashes between FARDC and the M23 armed group have continued in North and South Kivu, according to a September forecast by Security Council Report.

The Geneva Talks

The Joint Security Coordination Mechanism was established to monitor and coordinate implementation of security commitments between the DRC and Rwanda. The September talks will focus on whether the two sides can make further progress on those commitments. The agreement is part of a wider diplomatic effort to end decades of conflict in eastern DRC, a region bordering Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. A US Department of State spokesperson said the Washington Accords reaffirm the parties' commitment to implement the June 2025 peace agreement and achieve the vision of the Regional Economic Integration Framework.

Unresolved Security Commitments

The DRC is obliged to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), while Rwanda must disengage forces and lift defensive measures. A September forecast by Security Council Report said clashes between the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and the M23 armed group had continued in North and South Kivu. Rwanda has repeatedly accused the DRC of supporting, arming and working alongside the FDLR, which has its roots in forces that fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of supporting M23, allegations Kigali denies; M23 first emerged as a major armed movement in 2012.