The U.S.-led peace process in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is in danger.

Although violence involving the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels had continued in recent months, it is now set to escalate. Both sides have indicated that the U.S.-backed ceasefires are effectively dead, following weeks of mutual military buildups, belligerent rhetoric, and now some of the worst fighting between M23 and Congolese troops since early 2025. If the Trump administration wants to break the cycle of failed peace efforts while ensuring access to critical minerals, it must hold the warring factions — and those who support them — accountable.

The U.S. brokered a peace deal between the two nations in late June, after the culmination of an M23-Rwandan offensive that gobbled up swaths of territory in the eastern part of Congo, including two provincial capitals. U.S. and Qatari diplomatic efforts helped stem M23’s advance and led to ceasefires between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and M23 by late July, with the ambitious goal of reaching a longer-term peace deal in the following weeks.

However, peace talks have since stalled. All sides have violated their ceasefire commitments with impunity. M23 is largely responsible for initiating the latest round of fighting, launching offensives on two axes in North and

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