Washington Agreement: Implementation Reaches 27.5% Amid Limited Security Progress

Kinshasa, April 7, 2026 - The implementation of the Washington Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda has recorded modest progress, rising from 23.3% to 27.5% by the end of March 2026, according to a recent assessment report.

The evaluation, published on April 6 by the African Peace Agreements Barometer, marks the first notable increase after several months of stagnation observed between November 2025 and February 2026. The report attributes this improvement primarily to the activation of key security commitments, notably initial steps toward the neutralization of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

Overall, 21 out of the 30 tasks предусмотрed under the agreement have been launched at varying levels of implementation, representing 70% of planned actions. However, the cumulative score stands at 82.5 out of a possible 300, reflecting a relatively low overall execution rate. When considering only partially implemented tasks, the rate reaches 39.2%.

Despite this progress, the report highlights that implementation of critical security measures remains limited. Activities related to the planning, identification, and positioning of FDLR elements have achieved moderate scores, but actual military neutralization efforts remain minimal.

Humanitarian components of the agreement-including civilian protection, assistance to vulnerable populations, and the return of displaced persons and refugees-also show very low levels of implementation, underscoring ongoing challenges on the ground.

An analysis of national commitments indicates that the Democratic Republic of Congo has partially implemented 18 of the 26 tasks under its responsibility, corresponding to an overall rate of 26%. Rwanda, for its part, has partially completed 14 of its 22 assigned tasks, reaching an implementation rate of 23.8%. When focusing solely on tasks already underway, both countries show similar progress levels.

The report notes that, despite renewed diplomatic engagement and high-level backing of the agreement, including support from international partners, tangible improvements in the security situation remain limited. Mutual accusations between Kinshasa and Kigali over alleged violations continue to undermine trust and slow progress.

Parallel mediation efforts, including talks held in Doha between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebellion, have also seen little advancement. These discussions, intended to complement the Washington framework by addressing deeper structural causes of the conflict, remain largely stalled.