Burundi has urged Rwanda to follow through on its commitment to disengage forces from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), adding pressure on Kigali as efforts to implement the Washington peace agreement continue.
Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye made the call on September 23 in an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Ndayishimiye, who also serves as the African Union’s current chairperson, said the separation and disengagement of forces were necessary before a ceasefire in eastern DRC could be consolidated.
His comments coincide with difficulties the DRC-Rwanda peace process faces in implementing its security commitments. The two countries’ June 27, 2025 peace agreement requires Rwanda to disengage its forces and lift defensive measures, while the DRC is required to work toward neutralizing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The commitments were reaffirmed through the Washington Accords signed in December 2025.
Implementation has remained a focus of the joint mechanisms established under the agreement. At their sixth meeting in Geneva on August 12–13, the DRC and Rwanda agreed to advance initiatives aimed at strengthening monitoring and verification of the accords. They also agreed to hold a trilateral planning conference in October to develop a revised operations order for their coordinated efforts.
The issue of force disengagement has also featured in earlier meetings. In June, the Joint Oversight Committee said Rwanda had provided an update on its process of disengaging forces and lifting defensive measures. The committee called for urgent steps to make the ceasefire effective and supported the deployment of a verification mechanism.
Ndayishimiye’s statement adds a regional voice to the diplomatic pressure surrounding implementation of the agreement. Burundi has been directly affected by the conflict in eastern DRC and has participated in regional efforts to address the crisis. The Burundian president also took part in a September 21 high-level meeting in New York focused on a political solution to the conflict and the role of women in regional peace processes.
The latest call comes as the DRC-Rwanda process continues alongside separate negotiations involving Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 in Doha. The Washington framework and the Doha process are being pursued as parallel tracks aimed at addressing different aspects of the conflict in eastern DRC.
