In a statement released by the Presidency, João Lourenço "welcomes the steps taken towards regularizing the situation in the DRC, with the signing in Washington, on June 27, 2025, of the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda".
The head of state also expressed "the hope that the parties will honor the commitments made" and called for the conclusion of "all pending aspects of the process of definitive resolution of the conflict".
The agreement was signed on Friday by the foreign ministers of the DRC, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, and of Rwanda, Olivier Nduhungirehe, in the presence of the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
The document, mediated by the United States, provides for respect for territorial integrity and an end to hostilities in eastern DRC, where clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group have caused thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people since 2021.
US President Donald Trump called the signing of the agreement "a great day for the world", while UN Secretary-General António Guterres considered it "an important step towards de-escalation, peace and stability" in the region.
The African Union, through the chairman of its Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, also considered the understanding "an important step" and praised the ongoing efforts "to promote peace, stability and reconciliation in the region", also highlighting "the constructive and supportive role played by the United States and Qatar in facilitating dialogue".
The European Union, France and the United Kingdom also welcomed the understanding and called for its full implementation. The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, stressed that the involvement of the AU, SADC and the East African Community will be crucial to the success of the process.
Among the commitments made, the DR Congo undertakes to cease all support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group made up of Hutu militants implicated in the 1994 genocide. In turn, Rwanda must lift the defensive measures adopted along the border, although the agreement does not explicitly mention the M23 group, allegedly supported by Kigali.
In recent years, João Lourenço has played an active role in mediating conflicts in the region, having promoted several summits between the two countries and promoted the approval of declarations of principles to end the violence, without achieving an agreement.
