DRC–Rwanda Peace Accord: Mineral Governance Under Scrutiny

he new Washington-brokered DRC–Rwanda peace accord has raised alarms among civil society and mining justice actors. While presented as a pathway to regional stability, the accord includes controversial mineral supply chain management clauses. Critics warn it risks undermining Congolese sovereignty, entrenching elite mineral capture, and failing to address wartime justice, reparations, and community rights in mining regions.

Under the agreement, control and oversight over critical mineral trade routes and export certification processes could be centralised in ways that disadvantage local governance structures. Civil society organisations emphasise that without meaningful inclusion of Congolese communities and artisanal mining cooperatives, peace deals risk becoming another form of external resource control.

The accord has sparked urgent calls for:

• Transparency on the mineral governance provisions embedded within the deal.

• Guarantees that community rights and environmental standards will not be undermined.

• Peacebuilding processes that centre justice, reparation, and economic sovereignty for affected mining regions.

As international actors continue to shape the Great Lakes region’s mineral future, SARW and its partners are closely monitoring developments to ensure that any agreement promotes equitable governance, prevents illicit trade networks from flourishing, and builds durable peace rooted in human rights.