The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Rwanda, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union facilitator), and the African Union Commission on the occasion of the third Joint Oversight Committee held this week in Washington, D.C.
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On October 1, 2025, representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda, along with the United States, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union facilitator), and the African Union Commission convened the third meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee (Committee) for the Peace Agreement signed on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The Committee acknowledged challenges to implementation of the Peace Agreement and discussed concrete actions on its implementation, including related to neutralizing the FDLR armed group and its associated groups and advancing disengagement of forces/lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda. The DRC and Rwanda finalized the Operation Order submitted by the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism and confirmed October 1 as the start date for the Order.
The Committee recognized the importance of ICRC access to all detainees, and DRC and Rwanda committed to facilitate this access.
The Committee affirmed the need to support the full implementation of the Peace Agreement in word and deed, and members reaffirmed their commitment to refrain from hostile actions or rhetoric, particularly political attacks or language that would undermine or complicate the full implementation of the Peace Agreement, including in international fora.
The Committee discussed rising tensions in Uvira and Walikale, urging calm and restraint by all actors.
The State of Qatar provided an update on the ongoing negotiations in Doha between the DRC and the AFC/M23, and the Committee welcomed agreement on the exchange of prisoners and the resumption of talks during the week of October 6. The Committee expressed its support for these efforts and emphasized the importance of making forward progress in the Doha process as essential for broader implementation of the Peace Agreement, which the African Union Commission expressed its readiness to support.
The Committee intends to hold its fourth meeting after the next Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) meeting currently scheduled for October 21-22.
The Governments of the DRC and Rwanda expressed their gratitude to the United States, Qatar, and the African Union for their continued support in advancing durable peace in eastern DRC and the broader Great Lakes region.
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