US pushes for June peace deal between Rwanda and Congo

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KINSHASA (Reuters) -The United States is pressing for swift progress in peace negotiations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a senior U.S. diplomat underscoring an “extremely aggressive timeline” for a potential agreement as early as June or July.

Troy Fitrell, U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, said during an online conference this week that technical teams are working to move the process forward.

“This coming week, we do have technical teams here to try to get to the next stage,” Fitrell said. “We’ve done these principles. Now we have been arguing about putting these principles into action. We are still shooting for a June or July peace agreement.”

“There is no sense fooling around on this. If we are going to do it, we do it now,” he added, emphasizing Washington’s push to accelerate negotiations.

A planned meeting in May between the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the DRC did not take place, highlighting ongoing tensions and the fragility of the peace process.

In a separate but parallel mediation effort in Doha, delegations from the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group have been recalled for further talks following consultations this week, sources from both sides told Reuters.

The Qatar-led process is seen as a complementary track aimed at addressing the armed conflict in eastern Congo, where M23 rebels have seized territory in recent months.

Despite regional and international efforts, mistrust remains deep between Kinshasa and Kigali. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, a charge Rwanda denies.

The U.S. has played a growing role in trying to bridge differences, but diplomats caution that achieving a durable settlement will require political will on all sides.

(Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Daniel Wallis)