Intelligence Brief | DRC-Rwanda Tensions, Fragile Peace Pact, and M23 Judicial Escalation

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C), Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (R) and DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner sign a Declaration of Principles between the two countries in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2025. Photo/File

Ujasusi Blog’s Great Lakes Region Monitoring Team | 🗓️ 03 August 2025 | 🕛0130

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Multi-Front Escalation Amid Diplomatic Engagement

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda remain locked in a complex, multi-dimensional conflict, where battlefield developments, parallel governance, and diplomatic manoeuvres intersect. Over the past month, a series of interconnected developments have raised both hope and alarm: a U.S.-brokered peace agreement on June 27, 2025; the establishment of a Joint Oversight Committee; a diplomatic rupture at the Geneva summit; and M23’s bold step to form a parallel judiciary.

While these events collectively point to growing international involvement in de-escalation, they also reflect the entrenched mistrust, asymmetrical strategies, and institutional fragility that continue to undermine peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region.

1. Geneva Summit Clash: Kamerhe’s Speech and Rwanda’s Rebuttal