Afta DR Congo and Rwanda manage settle dia wahala wit one peace deal wey US help dem broker, di two kon dey make demand from each oda wey dey raise question if di truce go fit work as dem promise.

Few days afta dem sign di deal for Washington, Congo government talk say dem target one plane wey dem claim dey go di eastern part of di kontri afta e enter dia airspace witout permission. Rebels wey dey support M23 group talk say di plane na civilian aircraft wey dey carry humanitarian aid, but dem blow am up. Congo don always accuse Rwanda say dem dey back M23, but Rwanda dey deny di mata.

Pipo wey sabi di conflict dey worry say di road no go easy if dem no address di main wahala wey dey cause di fight. Dem talk say even though US don arrange di deal to get access to Congo minerals in exchange for peace, di real issues like disarmament of armed groups, refugees wey need to go back dia home, and land wahala fit still cause problem for di implementation of di deal.

“Peace no go just happen sharp-sharp because dem don sign dis deal. Di fight don dey happen for over 30 years. Di agreement na just foundation, but di main pipo wey dey involved go need take steps to make sure di deal work,” Tiffany Wognaih, wey be senior associate for J.S. Held, tok TRT Afrika.

Di President of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, use di 65th independence anniversary of di kontri from Belgium colonial rule to demand justice and accountability for di pipo wey suffer for di conflict.

On Rwanda side, dem talk say di withdrawal of dia “defensive mechanisms” from Congo go depend on how Kinshasa go take handle di FDLR armed group. Di FDLR na rebel militia wey ethnic Hutus form, and dem link dem to di 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Di fight for eastern Congo wey involve plenty armed groups don kill more than six million pipo and displace over seven million since 1996, according to wetin di UN tok. Di recent fight wey start again for January don kill over 8,000 pipo, as Congo government tok, and e don make di tension between Kigali and Kinshasa worse, wey lead to di US-brokered deal.

Di ceasefire deal wey dem publish talk about “respect for territorial integrity, no fight, disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,” according to wetin di US State Department tok. E also mention say dem go help refugees and displaced pipo return back to dia homes.

Experts dey talk say na dis kain issues wey still dey cause wahala among di pipo for ground, and dem go need serious action to make di deal work. “Na di respect for di two kontri territorial integrity and di steps wey dem go take to bring peace go make di region stable,” Ismael Buchanan, wey be Rwandan analyst, tok TRT Afrika.

Di agreements wey dem don do before between Congo and Rwanda no fit bring lasting peace, but US President Donald Trump dey optimistic say dis new effort na big diplomatic win. Rebel groups still dey doubt di deal, as dem talk say e dey make di fight look like na only between Kinshasa and Kigali, wey dem call “unacceptable deception.”

One alliance of rebel groups for eastern Congo, including M23, talk on Monday say di treaty na “small step, but e still dey useful.” Di coordinator of Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), Corneille Nangaa, tok say, “Di commitment no cover di real cause of di fight. Di legitimate demands of AFC/M23 still dey. Dem fit only address am if dem involve everybody.”

Di US enter di peace talk afta Congo president visit Washington for February 2025. Dem discuss how US go get access to Congo minerals in exchange for security support. Eastern Congo get plenty minerals like gold, lithium, cobalt, and coltan wey di world need for advanced technology. Na di minerals dey cause di fight too.

“Everybody see opportunity for di situation. US see chance to secure access to di minerals and lead di peace talk for Congo and Rwanda,” Wognaih tok. “But we dey wait to see how di investment go take work and how e go fit align wit di Chinese investment wey dey di region already.”

Separate talk dey happen for Qatar between Congo government and M23 rebel group, but nobody sabi if e go make di group drop dia weapons and comot from di land wey dem dey control now.

Trump administration don dey focus on commercial diplomacy for Africa afta dem cut development aid, increase tariffs, and dey threaten visa restrictions. Experts dey talk say di main reason why US dey involved for di Congo-Rwanda peace deal na because of dia mineral interest. But to make American companies invest for Congo minerals, dem go need security assurance first.

“Di main goal na to dey ground, and stability na di first step to improve di business environment and make di economy grow well,” Wognaih tok.