Speaking in a statement submitted to the United States Congress on January 22, 2026, Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Mathilde Mukantabana, highlighted Rwanda’s appreciation for U.S. leadership in advancing the Rwanda–DRC peace process, alongside mediation efforts led by Qatar. She said the Accords mark significant progress toward permanent stability, security, and shared prosperity in the region.

Ambassador Mukantabana noted that while the Washington Accords offer a comprehensive framework for peace, violence that erupted in eastern DRC in December 2025 underscored the threat posed by unaccountable armed actors operating outside agreed frameworks. She stressed that such groups continue to undermine peace efforts and destabilize the region, warning that they must not be allowed to operate with impunity.

The statement placed Rwanda’s security posture within a broader historical context, citing the Abacengezi insurgency that followed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. According to Rwanda, the continued presence of the FDLR an armed group linked to perpetrators of the genocide remains a fundamental security concern, necessitating defensive measures until credible and verifiable security guarantees are fully implemented.

Rwanda emphasized that its actions are defensive, transparent, and conditional. The Washington Accords, through a clear Concept of Operations (CONOPS), establish measurable benchmarks, including the neutralization and repatriation of FDLR fighters. Rwanda has committed to a phased and independently verified drawdown of its security measures in direct proportion to progress achieved under the agreement.

Beyond security, Rwanda underscored the economic promise of the Accords through the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF). The framework aims to boost cross-border trade, shared infrastructure, investment, and job creation, positioning the Great Lakes region as a hub for growth in sectors such as critical minerals, energy, conservation, and tourism.

Concluding the statement, Rwanda expressed readiness to work with the DRC, the African Union, the United States, and international partners to transform the Washington Accords into a permanent reality, anchored in peace, accountability, and shared prosperity for the people of the region.