Boulos: Peace Will Take Time

Great Lakes Region, 4 February 2026 - Massad Boulos, Special Advisor to the US President for African Affairs, stated that achieving peace in the Great Lakes region will be a long-term process. He emphasized that stability will not come immediately, noting that the region faces ongoing challenges and obstacles. Boulos recalled that on 4 December 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace agreement with US support, backing the Doha talks aimed at ending the war in North Kivu and South Kivu. He noted that when AFC/M23 captured Uvira on 9 December 2025, the US condemned the action, although the group explained it was intended to stop attacks by DRC, Burundian, Wazalendo, FDLR forces, and mercenaries against civilians in Minembwe. During a briefing on humanitarian operations in the DRC and Sudan on 3 February 2026, Boulos said the US remains concerned about Uvira and that AFC/M23 was asked to withdraw its fighters, which they did. He highlighted the Doha peace talks and the ceasefire monitoring agreement with MONUSCO, signed on 2 February 2026 with Qatar’s support, as major steps toward stability. Boulos stated, “Peace is a journey and it will take time. Here and there we will encounter obstacles. There will be challenges, but we must be firm and we are very firm. President Trump is firm. He signed as a witness, he is firm.” Meanwhile, AFC/M23 continues to accuse the DRC government of violating the ceasefire and targeting civilians, pledging on 3 February to combat these violations directly.