Addis Ababa, August 9, 2024 – The governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have begun implementing their June 27 Washington peace agreement during the first meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism, which concluded Friday in Addis Ababa.

In a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department, the governments of the United States, DRC, Rwanda, Qatar, the African Union Commission, and Togo confirmed: *"On August 7-8, representatives from the DRC and Rwanda – alongside observers from the U.S., Qatar, the AU mediator, and AU Commission – convened the inaugural session of the security coordination mechanism for their Washington-brokered peace pact."*

Key Implementation Mandates:

1. Operationalizing the Plan: The mechanism is tasked with executing "the operational concept for neutralizing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the phased withdrawal of Rwandan defensive measures" (as outlined in the agreement's annex).

2. Intelligence-Sharing Framework: Parties agreed to "facilitate bilateral intelligence exchanges" and adopted "a terms-of-reference framework for future meetings."

3. Third-Party Oversight: AU mediator Togo, Qatar, and the U.S. participated to "ensure effective, efficient, and neutral implementation" and support "good-faith efforts toward lasting regional stability."

Diplomatic Appreciation:
The DRC and Rwanda expressed gratitude for "the AU, U.S., and Qatar’s pivotal contributions as partners in advancing peaceful resolution."