DRC, Rwanda agree for economic cooperation on peace deal

Kinshasa [Democratic Republic of the Congo], August 3 : The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda agreed on terms of economic cooperation in several sectors, as the two countries move towards delivering on a peace deal signed in June, Al Jazeera reported.

The tenets agreed on Friday summarise a regional economic integration framework, which includes elements of cooperation on energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks and public health, according to the State Department of the US, which brokered the deal.

The DRC views the plundering of its mineral wealth as a key driver of the conflict between its forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the country's east that has killed thousands of people.

The deal signed in Washington DC, on June 27 aims to attract Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals. According to Human Rights Watch, it is "a mineral deal first, an opportunity for peace second", linking economic integration and respect for territorial integrity with the promise of billions of dollars of investments.

The two countries are also committed to ensuring that the minerals trade no longer provides funding to armed groups and to creating a world-class industrial mining sector in the region. The deal would also ensure better cross-border interoperability on mineral supply chains, according to the statement reported by Al Jazeera.

They also agreed to connect new infrastructure to the US-backed Lobito Corridor, underscoring Washington's aim of greater access to resources in the region and efforts to counter China, Al Jazeera reported.

The Ruzizi III hydropower project and Lake Kivu methane exploitation were the only specific projects mentioned in the statement, despite US emphasis on critical minerals. The countries said they intended to prioritise financing for Ruzizi and work together to exploit methane gas sustainably.

Friday's announcement comes after the two countries held the first meeting of a joint oversight committee on Thursday in a step towards implementing the deal, even as other commitments are yet to be fulfilled.

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