DRC human rights groups dismiss new peace deal, say it fails to address root causes

The agreement is set to lead to a permanent ceasefire and disarmament of non-state forces, including the M-23 militia, and give way for the US to extract minerals from the mineral-rich region.

A section of human rights defenders from the DRC have dismissed the deal as unable to resolve the root causes of the fighting.

It has been touted as a silver bullet to the decades of fighting at the DRC-Rwanda border, which has seen the killing of millions of people.

Rwanda president Paul Kagame and his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart Felix Tshisekedi putting pen to paper on the Washington accords deal, which is expected to silence the guns in the region.

The two leaders, pledging to abide by the deal, signed at the summit hosted by US president Donald Trump in Washington and witnessed by several leaders including president William Ruto.

“The Washington agreements are not yet another document. This represents a turning point. They bring together a declaration of principles,” said Felix Tshisekedi, president DRC.

“There will be ups and downs ahead. There is no doubt about it. Rwanda, I know, will not be found wanting. I can assure you of that,” said Paul Kagame, president Rwanda.

The agreement is set to lead to a permanent ceasefire in the region and end years of fighting, disarmament of non-state forces including the M-23 militia, bring to justice and accountability those who committed illegal atrocities, and finally usher in a new economic framework for prosperity in the region.

“They have spent a lot of time killing each other and now they will spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands and taking advantage of the USA like other countries do,” said Donald Trump, president USA.

“We will spare no effort to ensure this agreement is fully realised, mobilising every resource to secure peace and unlock the region’s economic potential,” said Dr. William Ruto, president Kenya.

The deal also includes a bilateral agreement between DRC and the USA on the extraction of minerals in the region.

“We will be sending our biggest and greatest companies over to the two countries and we are gonna get the rare earth minerals and everybody is gonna make a lot of money,” said Donald Trump, president USA.

However, even before the ink could dry on the deal, a section of human rights activists in the Congo have already poured cold water on the agreement, with Nobel peace prize winner in DRC Denis Mukwege terming it a deal for other people.

“This is an agreement that is made, not for us. Everything that is done for you, without you, is not done for you. This peace agreement for us is not inclusive. Civil society is not involved. As a result, we consider it a peace agreement that is not sustainable either,” said Denis Mukwege, Nobel peace prize laureate.

This comes as tension remains high in Bukavu, a major town in South Kivu province in eastern DRC, with the latest reports of a planned disarmament of non-state forces raising jitters.

The situation comes barely two days after a fresh attack in Kaziba, Katogota and Lubarika areas near Bukavu town. Both the Congolese army and the M-23 militia are trading accusations and counter-accusations on a plan to sabotage the peace deal.