Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba and her Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, have signed a peace agreement in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Reportedly, a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House is set to follow.

Trump had already referred to the agreement as a "wonderful treaty" even before its final signing, but some critical voices doubt whether the deal is far-reaching enough.

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Thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced in a conflict that reignited in 2021 when M23 rebels launched their most recent offensive in the DRC.

The fighting quickly escalated as allegations of Rwanda propping up M23 insurgents from across the border were broadly circulated and later confirmed by various international bodies, including the US government.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied those claims but has nonetheless agreed to commit to the peace deal.

"This agreement marks a very important step towards establishing peace in the African Great Lakes region," says Yvon Muya, a political analyst focused on African Affairs at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

"But nobody knows yet........

© Deutsche Welle