A peace deal between Congo and Rwanda was signed in the White House 27 June, but the military conflict on the ground in Eastern Congo continued. The M23, the main military force backed by Rwanda, since this year in control of the main cities in North and South Kivu, has not signed up to the deal.
“It is a mineral deal first, an opportunity for peace second”, Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch commented.
As with most other “deals” celebrated as victories by Trump, the headline – ”peace” – is promoted without clarity about the real content of the deal. Despite degrading its presence and stepping back from involvement in Africa in general, US involvement in Congo continues, and is about control of critical minerals. Similar to discussions and proposals for Ukraine, Trump promises investments from US companies that in turn is supposed to give protection from war.
The deal not covering M23 – who are part of separate negotiations, held in Qatar, with the Congolese government – meant the deal was hardly noticeable on the ground.
M23 advances
”With the ink barely dry in Washington, the M23 pressed its advance toward Uvira, the last major city in South Kivu that remains under government control. Rwandan troops, who numbered around 6,000 in the DRC at the start of the year and bear hi-tech weaponry that has been vital to the rebel conquests, continue to give the M23 critical support”, International Crisis Group reported in its analysis 4 July. Their report underlined the imbalance of the deal:
“Overall, Rwandan negotiators are happier with the deal than their Congolese counterparts, though Kigali is not rushing to put it into practice. In response to the signing, Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe welcomed the agreement and stated that the first priority should be “neutralisation” of the FDLR (meaning killing or capturing its cadres). Only then, he said, would Rwanda lift its own “defensive measures” in the DRC – a Rwandan euphemism for deploying troops in support of the M23 that is echoed in the agreement’s language. Kigali is determined to spool out its military deployment as long as possible.”
The M23 advanced rapidly in January and February, conquering Goma and Bakavu, capitals of North and South Kivu provinces. This armed militia first made its name known in 2012, when it held Goma for a short period. Following another peace deal the following year, it fell into the background, to reappear again late 2021. M23 has the full backing of the Rwandan government, including troops. M23 and Rwanda originally justified their military actions as hunting down FDLR, a Hutu militia whose leaders were part of the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.
However, the main reason for the conflict is the mineral riches of Eastern Congo. M23 have seized control of mining areas that have been transferred to Rwanda for export. During its military successes early this year, M23 leaders openly claimed their target was to overthrow the Congolese government in Kinshasa. That led to this round of negotiations.
M23 leaders have stated that the deal on 27 June does not involve them, instead pointing to their parallel talks with the Congolese government. This again stresses the oversized role of the Gulf emirate, involved also in talks about Gaza, Iran, Afghanistan and more, all in close cooperation with US imperialism. Qatar, as with its Gulf rivals in Saudi Arabia and UAE, has made strong economic inroads in Africa the last decade.
So, when the deal was signed, fighting continued, although at a lower level than a half year ago. M23 and Rwanda already complain that the Congolese army is not disarming FDLR, which was part of the deal. And the deal does not include immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan forces, the main demand from Kinshasa in the negotiations.
The deal has several other weaknesses and unclear elements, similar to previous agreements over wars in Congo, which over the last three decades have left more than 6 million dead. There are no clauses in the deal ensuring support or reconstruction for victims, with millions forced to flee their homes in the last year alone.
Rwandan troops are supposed to leave in 90 days, when the warring parties, the governments of Congo and Rwanda are supposed to have formed a “Regional Economic Integration Framework”. The deal also includes the possibility of M23 soldiers being integrated into the Congolese army. Similar proposals in previous peace agreements have always failed.
“Serve US interests”
For Trump and US imperialism, this is a business deal, and an important part of the inter-imperialist conflict with Chinese imperialism. It can “serve US interests in wresting some control of central Africa’s critical minerals from China’s grip”, the Financial Times commented. Chinese companies control most of the mining in Congo today. “The idea is to secure peace by giving US businesses a commercial stake in security. They would gain rights over critical minerals, such as coltan and lithium, that are important to the electronics industry. Gentry Beach, a college friend of Trump’s son Donald Jr and chair of investment firm America First Global, is for example leading a consortium negotiating rights for the Rubaya coltan mine, currently controlled by Rwanda-sponsored M23 rebels.” (FT 3 July)
For Rwanda, the deal can allow it to acquire an official role processing the minerals, until now the Rwandan government has denied the Congolese origin of its exports. The most important role in the deal, however, is for “the U.S. government and U.S. investors”. In both cases the historic imperialist plundering of Congo will continue.
This is not a deal democratically decided by workers and the poor in Congo and the region. The Congolese government has agreed out of military weakness, offering US imperialism minerals in exchange for Washington putting some pressure on the authoritarian Rwandan regime.
A ceasefire is welcome, but this deal will not bring peace. The millions that have been forced to flee their homes, while delivery of food, medicine and aid are blocked, are not being offered anything. Proxy armed conflicts will continue. All armed groups, including M23, Rwanda, the Congolese army and its allies called Wazalendo, are guilty of mass killings, rapes and destruction of entire villages. This deal does punish any forces responsible for the wars.
The working masses in Congo need a political force to fight in their interests, linking up with workers and the poor in the region, to fight imperialism, both US and Chinese. This means an internationalist revolutionary socialist party and movement, with allies in workers struggles internationally.
