DRC Updates SADC On FDLR Disarmament Under Washington Peace Track

Kinshasa, August 13, 2026 - The Democratic Republic of the Congo briefed the Southern African Development Community on progress under the Washington peace agreement with Rwanda, including steps toward the disarmament, demobilization and cantonment of the Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda.

Regional Integration Minister Floribert Anzuluni told the SADC Council of Ministers on August 12 that the FDLR had signed a protocol providing for disarmament, demobilization and cantonment, to be followed by repatriation to Rwanda or transfer to a third country. He said a follow-up committee would be created to support implementation with regional and international partners.

The update is politically significant because the FDLR file remains central to Rwanda's security claims, while Kinshasa continues to face the AFC/M23 and other armed groups in the east. The Washington agreement, mediated by the United States, is intended to create a framework for de-escalation between Kinshasa and Kigali.

The briefing also marked the DRC's return to full participation in SADC proceedings after Kinshasa settled arrears that had deprived it of speaking rights in plenary and decision-making sessions for more than two years. For investors, the development is relevant to regional risk perceptions around eastern DRC security, cross-border relations and mining corridor stability.