# In the DRC, the Peace Signed in Washington Remains a Dead Letter on the Ground > Introduction: a peace deal that isn't keeping its promises - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Profile - Published: 2026-07-04 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/en-rdc-la-paix-signee-a-washington-reste-lettre-morte-sur-le-terrain ## Introduction: a peace deal that isn't keeping its promises ### A UN report that shatters the official optimism A **United Nations** **report** published in late June 2026 reveals widespread **violations** of the **peace agreement** signed between the **Democratic Republic of Congo** and **Rwanda**, implicating, according to the document, every party involved: the **Congolese army**, **M23** rebels, and Rwandan forces themselves. According to the **Washington Post**, this reality directly contradicts the official narrative of restored **peace** celebrated at the signing of the **agreement**, leaving civilians in eastern Congo exposed to violence that, in practice, never truly stopped. ### Why this story deserves Western attention This testimony examines how an **agreement** presented as a major diplomatic victory can, on the ground, prove largely symbolic as long as verification and enforcement mechanisms remain as weak as those currently seen in eastern Congo. This situation also illustrates a broader geopolitical stake: the need for the **West** to stay vigilant toward forgotten **conflicts** that, like the one in the **DRC**, keep claiming victims while international attention is focused elsewhere. *I refuse to look away from this conflict just because it gets less media coverage than others. Every life lost in eastern Congo deserves the same attention as those lost in conflicts that make more Western headlines.* ## What the UN report reveals ### Documented violations on all sides The UN **report**, cited by **Human Rights Watch**, documents **violations** committed by every signatory to the **agreement**, contradicting the simplified version often presented in official diplomatic communications about the real state of the ceasefire in the region. This rigorous documentation, based on testimony gathered directly on the ground by **United Nations** observers, lends particular credibility to conclusions that contradict the more optimistic accounts pushed by some signatory governments. ### The gap between diplomatic appearances and ground reality This gap between official diplomatic statements and the documented reality on the ground is, unfortunately, nothing new in the **conflicts** of Africa's Great Lakes region, where **peace** **agreements** signed in capitals often struggle to translate into real relief for local populations. This reality underscores the crucial importance of independent, robust verification mechanisms capable of objectively documenting whether signed **agreements** are actually being implemented, rather than relying solely on the statements of the parties involved. *Signing a peace agreement in front of the cameras is easy. Enforcing it on the ground, far from the diplomatic spotlight, is an entirely different matter — and that is precisely where this process appears to have failed so far.* ## M23's contested role in the ongoing conflict ### An armed group that never stopped its operations The **M23** rebel movement, backed according to multiple **reports** by **Rwanda**, reportedly continues military operations in eastern **DRC** despite its formal commitment to the **peace** **agreement**, a contradiction the **United Nations** report documents in detail. This continuation of **M23** activity, documented through testimony from displaced local populations, raises serious questions about how sincere this armed group's commitment to a **peace** process it formally accepted really is. ### Rwandan support still at the heart of tensions **Rwanda's** role in allegedly supporting **M23** remains at the center of regional diplomatic tensions, despite repeated denials from Kigali, which continues to officially deny any direct involvement in the rebel group's operations on Congolese territory. This question of Rwandan support, documented over the years by several independent **United Nations** expert **reports**, remains one of the most persistent points of friction between the two countries despite the signing of the **peace** **agreement**. *I notice, once again, that official denials never hold up for long against the documented reports of independent observers, who have no political interest to protect in this conflict.* ## The Congolese army also under scrutiny ### Violations that don't come from just one side The UN **report** does not limit itself to documenting **violations** by **M23** and **Rwanda**: it also points to failures committed by the **Congolese army** itself, an important acknowledgment that avoids reducing this complex **conflict** to a simple opposition between victims and aggressors. This acknowledgment of **violations** on all sides strengthens the overall credibility of the **report**, avoiding the pitfall of an oversimplified narrative that could have compromised the objectivity needed for a rigorous assessment of the situation on Congolese ground. ### The Congolese army's structural challenges Congolese armed forces face structural challenges that have been well documented for decades, including internal discipline and coordination problems that considerably complicate their ability to fully comply with the terms of a complex **peace** **agreement**. These structural challenges, far from excusing the documented **violations**, nonetheless help explain the fragile institutional context in which this **peace** **agreement** must be implemented on Congolese ground. *I think it's important to acknowledge the faults of all parties, including the Congolese army, to avoid falling into a black-and-white reading that would undermine the credibility of any future international mediation.* ## The human toll of this ongoing conflict ### Civilians caught between multiple sides Civilian populations in eastern **DRC** continue to bear the direct consequences of these repeated **violations** of the **peace** **agreement**, with massive forced displacement continuing despite the official commitments made by all signatory parties. This humanitarian reality, documented by multiple organizations on the ground, sharply contrasts with the image of restored stability that some diplomatic narratives have tried to project to the international community since the agreement was signed. ### Humanitarian access still obstructed Humanitarian organizations' access to areas affected by the **conflict** remains considerably obstructed by the persistence of fighting, limiting the international community's ability to fully document the real scale of suffering endured by Congolese populations. This persistent obstruction of humanitarian access is, in itself, an additional violation of the basic principles that should normally accompany any serious **peace** **agreement** between the signatory parties to this regional **conflict**. *Behind every statistic on forced displacement is a family that has lost everything. I cannot treat this conflict as a mere geopolitical abstraction while this very real human suffering continues unabated.* ## The Western position on this relative failure ### An agreement sponsored by a Washington under pressure The **peace** **agreement** between the **DRC** and **Rwanda** had been presented as a significant diplomatic success for the American administration, which makes the current revelations of widespread **violations** documented by the **United Nations** all the more embarrassing. This situation puts the American administration in a delicate strategic position: publicly acknowledge the limits of this **agreement** and redouble efforts to ensure it is actually implemented, or downplay these revelations to preserve the image of a diplomatic victory already widely publicized. ### The importance of maintaining Western diplomatic pressure The **West**, including the United States and its European allies, retains a crucial role to play in maintaining the diplomatic pressure needed on all signatory parties, so that this **peace** **agreement** does not remain a mere document with no real implementation on the ground. This continued Western vigilance is all the more necessary in a context where other world powers, notably China, are actively seeking to expand their economic and political influence in the mineral-rich strategic region of eastern Congo. *I believe the West cannot afford to abandon this issue once the signing ceremony is over. Real diplomacy is measured by results on the ground, not by official photos taken in Washington.* ## The strategic mining stakes underlying the conflict ### Resources that fuel the conflict's persistence Eastern **DRC** holds considerable deposits of strategic minerals essential to modern technology, a wealth that continues to fuel the interests of multiple armed and economic actors with little inclination to see lasting **peace** truly take hold in the region. This economic dimension of the conflict, documented for decades by numerous specialized researchers, considerably complicates peace efforts by creating powerful financial incentives for certain local and regional actors to continue hostilities. ### International competition for these critical resources International competition for access to these critical mineral resources, particularly between Western and Chinese powers, adds an additional layer of geopolitical complexity to a conflict already deeply rooted in longstanding, persistent regional dynamics. This broader geopolitical dimension underscores the importance for the **West** to remain engaged in this strategic region, rather than ceding ground to rival powers less concerned with the human rights of the affected Congolese populations. *It worries me to see powers like China take advantage of Congolese chaos to tighten their grip on strategic resources, while Western attention fades once the diplomatic cameras turn off.* ## Historical precedents of broken peace deals in the African Great Lakes region ### A region marked by recurring cycles of violence The African Great Lakes region has seen, over the past three decades, multiple **peace** **agreements** that never managed to durably end the cycles of violence between the **DRC**, **Rwanda**, and other regional actors involved in similar conflicts. This troubling history of broken promises fuels legitimate skepticism among many observers about this 2025 **agreement's** real capacity to produce lasting results, where so many previous diplomatic attempts have failed. ### What could make this agreement different from previous ones Some diplomats nonetheless believe that Washington's direct involvement in this process, combined with American economic interests in regional mineral resources, could provide an additional lever of pressure absent from previous mediation attempts. This hypothesis remains to be concretely demonstrated, however, since the **violations** documented by the UN **report** suggest that even this stronger American involvement has not, so far, been enough to guarantee full compliance with the commitments made by all signatory parties. *This region's history has taught me to remain cautious about triumphant peace announcements. Every previous agreement raised the same hope, too often followed by the same disappointments for the civilians who pay the price, yet I still hold a measured hope that the current American involvement can finally break this cycle.* ## Conclusion: a peace that still needs to be truly built ### A necessary but clearly insufficient agreement This **United Nations** **report** is a reminder of an essential lesson in international diplomacy: signing a **peace** **agreement** is only a symbolic first step, whose real value depends entirely on every party's genuine willingness to actually honor its terms on the ground. ### What the international community must now demand Faced with these documented **violations** on all sides, the international community, with the **West** at the forefront, must demand strengthened verification mechanisms and real consequences for parties that continue to violate an **agreement** meant to end the suffering of Congolese populations. *I end this testimony convinced that a facade of peace, celebrated in Washington but ignored on Congolese ground, does not deserve to be called peace. The people of eastern Congo deserve far better than broken promises.* **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - [Washington Post — Congo, UN, M23 rebels, Rwanda report, July 2, 2026](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/02/congo-un-m23-rebels-rwanda/fcdd6bb4-7637-11f1-b665-5f8be87f3787_story.html) - [UN News — Report on violations of the DRC-Rwanda peace agreement, June 2026](https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167786) - [Wikipedia — 2025 DRC–Rwanda peace agreement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_DRC%E2%80%93Rwanda_peace_agreement) ### Secondary sources - [Human Rights Watch — Trump declared peace in Congo, this is the reality, June 17, 2026](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/17/trump-declared-peace-in-congo-this-is-the-reality) - [BBC News — Report on the DRC-Rwanda-M23 conflict](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrjn88jqn4o) - [Yahoo News — DRC, Rwanda-backed M23 sign agreement](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/drc-rwanda-backed-m23-sign-135515217.html) --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/en-rdc-la-paix-signee-a-washington-reste-lettre-morte-sur-le-terrain