Rwanda and Congo Sign Peace Agreement

Published on 25 Oct 2025

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a peace deal to end years of fighting between the neighbouring countries.

• The agreement was mediated by the US and Qatar.

• The origin of the fighting can be traced back to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

• About 800,000 people – mostly from the Tutsi community - were slaughtered by ethnic Hutu extremists.

• The genocide ended with the advance of a force of Tutsi-led rebels commanded by Paul Kagame, who is now president.

• Fearing reprisals, an estimated one million Hutus then fled across the border to what is now DR Congo.

• After 30 years of conflict, one of the Hutu groups, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and Rwanda backed group, M23, led by ethnic Tutsis, are under constant war.

• The agreement was signed not with the M23 - whose armed forces have occupied huge areas of the region - but with Rwanda, DR Congo's neighbour.

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Rwanda and Congo Sign Peace Agreement Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC Rwanda Tutsi Hutu congo Africa