By Agencies
One year after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington, residents of eastern Congo say little has changed on the ground.
The agreement, signed under the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump, raised hopes that decades of conflict in the mineral-rich region would finally give way to stability. But in Goma, a strategic city that remains under the control of the M23 rebel group, many residents say violence continues unabated.
“When they went to sign the agreement, we were happy because we thought the war would come to an end,” said Delphin Kulongwa, a resident of Goma. “But on the ground, it’s the opposite. We continue to suffer. These agreements have produced absolutely no results.”
His frustration is shared by many in the city.
“The DRC and Rwanda signed the agreement, but since we heard about it a year ago, nothing has changed,” said another resident, Elysé Gisanagabo. “They sign these agreements and come back without any tangible solution.”
The conflict in eastern DRC has displaced millions of people and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Despite repeated diplomatic efforts, fighting between government forces, the M23 rebels and other armed groups has persisted.
Independent political analyst Jacinthe Maarifa believes a lack of trust between the parties remains the greatest obstacle to implementing the agreement.
“Without trust, it is very difficult for either side to honor its commitments,” Maarifa said. “Just days after the agreement was signed, both parties were already interpreting it to suit their own interests. They continued to use inflammatory rhetoric, and that does nothing to build confidence.”
Maarifa also argues that the peace process was weakened from the outset.
“There were actions that, in one way or another, undermined the agreement, including sanctions imposed on one of the parties by the mediators,” he said. “It was an agreement that was doomed to fail, and it didn’t take long for that to become clear. One year later, we still do not have peace.”
As eastern Congo continues to grapple with insecurity, residents say they are looking beyond diplomatic declarations and hoping instead for meaningful improvements in their daily lives.
For many in Goma, one year after the Washington accord, peace remains more of a promise than a reality.
