Overview
- Rwanda committed to a scheduled disengagement of forces and to lift defensive measures in defined areas inside the DRC.
- The DRC agreed to time-bound, intensified efforts to neutralize the FDLR, alongside commitments to protect civilians and uphold sovereignty.
- The Washington talks were the first direct engagement since the U.S. sanctioned the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior officers on March 2.
- The United States blames Rwandan support for M23 for ongoing violence, Rwanda denies backing the rebels, and U.N. experts have reported evidence of Rwandan involvement.
- Fighting continues as M23 retains large swathes of territory, and recent drone strikes in eastern Congo killed a French U.N. worker and two others.