The Rwandan and Congolese governments have lauded the recently signed peace agreement as a historic milestone to end fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC.

The deal, brokered and signed in the United States, with support from Qatar, outlines commitments to cease hostilities, establish a path to economic cooperation, and neutralize armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). President Felix Tshisekedi said it would open a "new era of stability, cooperation and prosperity." Meanwhile US officials say this is a step towards unlocking mineral wealth in the region.

But observers in Rwanda and the DRC warn implementation, inclusivity and accountability remain significant hurdles. Also the realities on the ground and the cool reactions from armed groups, such as the M23, complicate matters.

The M23 rebel group, which seized the strategically important cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, has rejected the binding nature of the DRC–Rwanda deal. A separate process in the Qatari capital of Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 is ongoing but has produced few public details.

In a statement, Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the M23-affiliated Congo River Alliance (AFC), criticized the Washington deal as "limited," claiming Kinshasa was undermining the Doha process.

M23 executive secretary, Benjamin Mbonimpa, told reporters: "Our problems are different from what was dealt with in Washington."

Kigali-based political commentator Gonza Mugi described........

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