After navigating a period of turmoil that resulted in a peace deal, both DR Congo and Rwanda have quickly moved to make demands from each other that pose questions on whether the US-brokered truce could live up to its promise.

Just days after the signing of the deal in Washington, the Congolese government targeted an aircraft it said was heading towards the eastern part of the country after entering its airspace without permission.

Rebels allied to the M23 group said the civilian plane was blown up while delivering humanitarian aid. The DRC has always accused Rwanda of backing the M23, but Kigali denies.

Watchers of the conflict worry that the road ahead won’t be easy if its root causes are not addressed.

They argue that whereas the US struck a deal on access to critical minerals in exchange for peace, more pertinent concerns on disarmament of armed groups, repatriation of refugees, and land disputes could hinder implementation of the deal.

“Stability is not going to happen overnight now that this deal has been signed. The conflict has been ongoing for three decades. This agreement sets the foundation for the way forward but a lot of the key stakeholders involved are now going to have to take steps to implement provisions in the deal,” Tiffany Wognaih, a senior associate at J.S. Held, a think tank, told TRT Afrika.

Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi this week used his speech on the 65th anniversary of the country’s independence from Belgian colonial rule to demand justice and accountability for the victims of atrocities committed in the conflict.

Respecting the deal

Rwanda, on its part, said the withdrawal of its “defensive mechanisms” from DR Congo, as outlined in the deal, depends on Kinshasa’s effort to neutralise the FDLR armed group, according to its foreign affairs minister. The rebel militia established by ethnic Hutus is linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The conflict in eastern DRC involving various armed groups has killed more than six million people and displaced more than seven million others since 1996, according to the UN.

A recent resurgence since January, which has killed more than 8,000 people according to the DRC government, has fuelled tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa, leading to the US-brokered deal.

Terms of the ceasefire deal made public recognise provisions on “respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,” according to a statement from the US State Department.

It also mentioned “facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons”.

Experts say these are where disagreements still linger among people on the ground and will require visible measures from Trump’s administration.

“That is how the issue of respect for both countries’ territorial integrity and the implementation of measures to restore lasting stability in the region will work,” Ismael Buchanan, a Rwandan analyst, told TRT Afrika.

Previous agreements between the two neighbours failed to deliver lasting peace, although an optimistic US President Donald Trump claimed the latest effort as a major diplomatic win.

Rebel groups have also expressed doubts about the deal, which they said narrowed the conflict down to tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali, describing such characterisation as an “unacceptable deception.”

An alliance of various rebel groups in eastern DR Congo, including the M23, said on Monday that the treaty is “a step, albeit limited, but useful.”

“This commitment covers only a tiny part of the real cause of the conflict. The legitimate demands of the AFC/M23 remain. They can only be addressed within an inclusive framework,” Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) coordinator Corneille Nangaa said in a message marking Congo’s 65th independence anniversary.

US mineral interests

The US got involved in the peace negotiations at the invitation of the DRC president, who visited Washington in February 2025, where US access to DRC’s minerals in exchange for security support was discussed. Eastern Congo is estimated to have trillions of dollars’ worth of reserves of critical minerals—gold, lithium, cobalt, and coltan—that are sought after for use in advanced technology.

Access to the minerals has been among the drivers of the conflict. “All the parties saw an opportunity in the situation. The US, for example, saw a chance to position itself to secure access to critical minerals and be at the forefront of negotiating a peace deal for the DRC and Rwanda,” Wognaih argued.

“There is definitely a transaction dimension here... But we are really waiting to see what shape these investments take and how it's going to align with existing Chinese investments in the mining sector in the region.”

Separate talks are ongoing in Qatar between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group—although it’s unclear whether it would result in the group laying down arms and withdrawing from the vast territories it now occupies.

Trump’s administration has pivoted to commercial diplomacy in its dealings with Africa after announcing cuts in development aid, imposing higher tariffs, and threatening more visa restrictions.

Experts say the main motive for its involvement in the DRC-Rwanda peace deal is to pursue its mineral interests. But attracting American companies to invest in Congo's minerals will first require security guarantees, experts say.

“To be on the ground is really the goal here and stability is a precondition for improving the business climate and achieving a good base for sustainable economic growth and development,” said Wognaih.