Rwanda-DRC Ties Shift From Cooperation To Renewed Tensions

Kigali, August 10, 2026 - Rwanda's relationship with the Democratic Republic of Congo has shifted from efforts to deepen security and economic cooperation to renewed tensions over armed groups and mineral flows from eastern Congo.

After Felix Tshisekedi became president of the DRC, Kigali and Kinshasa pursued closer engagement, including 2021 agreements intended to strengthen security cooperation, cross-border trade and investment. The initiatives were designed to address shared security threats while opening new channels for economic development.

In February 2021, Rwandan and Congolese security and intelligence officials agreed to improve intelligence sharing, particularly against armed groups including the FDLR and ADF. The approach signaled an attempt to manage regional insecurity through coordination rather than confrontation.

The partnership expanded at meetings between Presidents Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi in Rubavu and Goma on June 26 and 27, 2021, when the two countries signed agreements on investment, taxation and mineral trade. One deal linked Congolese state miner Sakima SA with Rwanda's Dither Ltd for gold produced in Kivu and Maniema to be processed in Rwanda, including at the Gasabo Gold Refinery in Kigali.

The initiative was presented as a way to formalize mineral trade, raise state revenue and reduce smuggling networks associated with armed groups in eastern DRC. Relations later deteriorated as Kinshasa accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group and seeking to benefit from Congo's mineral wealth, creating renewed uncertainty around cross-border trade, security coordination and regional investment risk.