The United States has called on Rwanda to fulfil its commitments under the Washington Accords by ending all support to the M23 armed group and withdrawing its forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The message was delivered during a meeting between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Corey Garcia and Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United States, Mathilde Mukantabana.
In a statement posted by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, Garcia stressed that Rwanda must uphold its obligations under the Washington Accords, including ending support for M23 and withdrawing Rwandan forces from the DRC.
“Full implementation is the foundation for lasting peace in the Great Lakes region,” the bureau said, adding that implementation would also create opportunities for new investment and deeper economic ties between the countries involved.
The Washington Accords form part of the U.S.-backed peace process between Rwanda and the DRC aimed at addressing the conflict in eastern Congo. Earlier meetings of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism have focused on implementing provisions including the disengagement of forces and the lifting of defensive measures, alongside efforts to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The U.S. position comes amid continued international scrutiny of Rwanda’s role in the conflict in eastern DRC. The United Nations and other international actors have previously accused Rwanda of supporting M23, while Kigali has disputed aspects of those allegations and has maintained that its security concerns are linked to armed groups operating from Congolese territory.
Rwanda’s ambassador, Mukantabana, has previously described the Washington Accords as an important framework for achieving lasting stability in the Great Lakes region. In a January 2026 statement to a U.S. congressional committee, she said Rwanda had committed to a phased drawdown of its security coordination measures with M23 in line with progress on the neutralisation of the FDLR and other conditions under the agreement.
The latest U.S. message therefore places emphasis on Rwanda’s obligations under the agreement, particularly its military relationship with M23 and the presence of its forces in the DRC.
The United States has also continued working with Rwanda and the DRC through mechanisms established under the peace process. At a meeting in August, representatives of the two countries, together with the U.S., Qatar, Togo and the African Union Commission, discussed measures to strengthen monitoring and verification of implementation on the ground.
For Washington, implementation of the agreement is being presented not only as a security issue but also as a potential foundation for greater economic cooperation. The Bureau of African Affairs said fulfilling the commitments could open the door to new investment and deeper economic ties that would benefit the wider Great Lakes region.
The latest statement adds pressure on Kigali as international efforts continue to turn the Washington Accords from a diplomatic agreement into concrete security measures on the ground in eastern DRC.
