Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are set to sign an agreement in Washington on Friday to end years of conflict in eastern DRC that has killed thousands.
But questions remain over the deal's ambiguity and the political and economic interests behind it.
The agreement comes after months of diplomacy led by the Trump administration, which has publicly celebrated the initiative.
US President Donald Trump has also voiced frustration over not being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his involvement.
However, critics warn that the deal lacks clarity, particularly around its economic framework.
The eastern DRC is rich in minerals such as cobalt and lithium — vital for electric vehicles — and the US is eager to counter China's growing influence in the region.
The M23 rebel group, made up largely of ethnic Tutsis, renewed its offensives in late 2021, capturing large swathes of territory including Goma, a key city near the Rwandan border.
Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Kigali of backing M23 — an allegation Washington supports.
Rwanda denies this, insisting instead on action against the FDLR — a group made up of ethnic Hutus, including figures linked to the 1994 genocide.
The deal will be signed by Foreign Ministers Olivier Nduhungirehe of Rwanda and Therese Kayikwamba Wagner of the DRC in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott.
The White House says Trump will also meet both ministers at the Oval Office.
In a joint statement, the three countries said the deal includes a pledge to respect territorial integrity, ban hostilities, and disarm all non-state armed groups.
It also refers to a "regional economic integration framework" and a planned summit involving Trump, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi.
The agreement was mediated with help from Qatar and Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman who is Trump's senior adviser on Africa and the father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany.
Controversy over economic angle
Denis Mukwege, the Congolese doctor who shared the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end wartime sexual violence, criticised the deal for rewarding aggression.
In a statement, he said the agreement "would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimising the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace."
Ahead of the signing, Africa Intelligence reported the deal requires Rwanda to pull back its "defensive measures" and for the DRC to cut ties with the FDLR.
But Rwanda’s foreign minister denied the report, saying: "The words 'Rwanda Defence Force', 'Rwandan troops' or 'withdrawal' are nowhere to be seen in the document."
The DRC’s top diplomat had said during her April visit to Washington that Kigali must withdraw from Congolese territory.
Both nations are working to maintain favour with Washington.
Rwanda has discussed hosting migrants deported from the US — a major policy priority for Trump.
Meanwhile, Kinshasa is proposing a US investment agreement modeled after a minerals deal Washington once pursued with Ukraine.
