The meeting, held under the framework of the Joint Oversight Committee, marked its fifth session since the agreement was signed on June 27, 2025, in Washington, DC.
According to the joint statement released by the U.S. State Department, the Committee reviewed progress made since the March 17–18, 2026 meeting, with both Rwanda and the DRC providing updates on efforts to ease tensions and advance implementation of agreed measures on the ground.
The State of Qatar also briefed the meeting on ongoing negotiations between the DRC and AFC/M23. The Committee expressed strong support for these talks and welcomed Switzerland’s role in hosting the latest round of discussions in Doha, stressing the importance of this track in reinforcing the broader peace process.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining momentum in the implementation of the agreement and building on the progress already achieved.
Rwanda and the DRC also expressed appreciation to the United States, Qatar, the African Union Commission, and Togo for their continued support in promoting peace and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.
The Washington Peace Agreement outlines key measures, including efforts to dismantle the FDLR terrorist group, address security concerns, and contribute to long-term regional stability.
Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, said both sides had reiterated their commitment to de-escalation and continued implementation of the agreement.
“The State Department hosted a productive meeting with our partners on the Joint Oversight Committee to review progress on the DRC-Rwanda Peace Agreement signed last June.
“Both the DRC and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to de-escalation and continued implementation of the Peace Agreement, building on progress from our March meetings in Washington. Grateful to the African Union, Togo, and Qatar for their contributions as we work to support a lasting peace in the Great Lakes,” he wrote on X.
The peace agreement signed in June last year had set a 90-day timeline for dismantling the FDLR and lifting Rwanda’s defensive measures. However, nearly a year later, little progress has been achieved.
Although on March 29, the Congolese army announced plans to launch operations against the FDLR, Rwanda maintains that the group continues to operate freely.
Massad Boulos, senior advisor to President Donald Trump, addresses the media at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Nearly a year after signing Washington peace agreement, little progress has been achieved.
“We’ve currently provided exceptions for some countries, but I don’t know what will happen in the future. However, our foreign ministry is currently trying to implement the exceptions envisioned for friendly countries, such as Russia,” the ambassador said.
Iran has announced plans to charge fees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Israeli attacks against the country, citing costs associated with ensuring the security of the key waterway. It said it has closed the strait and will reopen it once the U.S. naval blockade is fully lifted.
First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian parliament Hamid Reza Haji Babaei said Thursday that Iran has received fees for transit through the strait for the first time, with funds transferred to the country’s central bank.
The strait, a narrow checkpoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is the only maritime outlet to the open ocean, with about 20 million barrels of oil passing through it daily before the war — about a fifth of global consumption.
Iran has granted exemptions to some countries, including Russia, in transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz,
The United States is going to work with the government of Lebanon to help it protect itself from Hezbollah, Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump said he met with representatives of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office, along with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon.
“The Meeting went very well!” Trump claimed, providing no details.
“I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun,” Trump added.
Trump said last week he was expecting to meet Netanyahu and Aoun at the White House “over the next week or two” in hopes that the two sides could broker a peace deal, which will also address Hezbollah.
The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on April 16, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Israel and Lebanon have no formal diplomatic relations, and Hezbollah has long been viewed by Israel as a “proxy” of Iran. The negotiating party with Israel is the Lebanese government, not Hezbollah.
The truce has remained fragile as tensions along Lebanon’s southern border have continued during the current ceasefire.
Trump said he met with representatives of Israel and Lebanon in the Oval Office, along with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon.
The agreements were concluded on April 22, 2026, at the 12th session of the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) held in Kampala, where officials from both countries reiterated their commitment to closer cooperation and regional integration.
Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, John Mulimba, described the meeting as a clear sign of shared ambition between the two neighbours.
“This session is a testament to our mutual resolve to strengthen ties and work together for the prosperity of our two peoples. Uganda and Rwanda are not just neighbours; we are partners bound by history, culture, and kinship,” he said.
Mulimba noted that collaboration would continue across key areas such as trade, cross-border movement, infrastructure, and security, stressing the need for tangible benefits for citizens.
“As the host, Uganda reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful and open neighbourhood, regional integration, and pan-Africanism. A stable and prosperous Rwanda is in Uganda’s interest, just as a stable and prosperous Uganda is in Rwanda’s interest,” he added.
Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, Usta Kaitesi, emphasised the deep-rooted ties between the two nations.
“Our relations are rooted in a shared history, strong people-to-people ties, and a common aspiration for peace, stability, and prosperity,” she said.
Kaitesi highlighted the JPC as a vital platform for tracking progress, resolving challenges, and identifying new opportunities for collaboration.
The newly signed agreements are expected to strengthen service delivery, enhance cross-border cooperation, and reinforce ties between Kigali and Kampala, signalling renewed momentum in relations between the two countries.
Rwanda and Uganda reaffirmed commitment to regional integration and stronger bilateral ties at the JPC meeting.Delegations from Kigali and Kampala meet to review progress and expand cooperation across key sectors.Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Cooperation, Usta Kaitesi, highlighted strong historical ties between Rwanda and Uganda.Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, John Mulimba, speaks during the closing session of the Joint Permanent Commission in Kampala.Officials from Rwanda and Uganda pose after concluding the 12th Joint Permanent Commission in Kampala on April 22, 2026.
Speaking at a Symposium on Genocide Prevention organised by the Embassy of Rwanda in Kenya as part of the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, Lumumba urged the international community to move beyond rhetoric and ensure practical measures are taken to prevent future atrocities.
“We are not gathered here because it is an annual jamboree at which we congregate and make speeches to ourselves,” he said, stressing that the commemoration must serve as a serious reminder of humanity’s failures and responsibilities.
Warning against historical amnesia
Lumumba cautioned against revisionism and denialism, arguing that forgetting history increases the risk of repeating it.
“We are gathered here because history has taught us that if we are not careful, the only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history,” he said.
He pointed to past global failures, including the inability of the international community to prevent the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, where a million people were killed over a 100-day period.
The scholar criticised the role of international institutions during the genocide, saying the world “watched in eloquent silence” as violence unfolded.
“The United Nations, East Africa, Africa, and the big powers with nuclear weapons watched,” he said, adding that places of worship were turned into sites of mass killings while the world remained paralysed.
He also referenced broader historical injustices, including slavery, colonial partitioning of Africa, and genocides in other parts of the world, arguing that global systems have repeatedly failed to prevent mass atrocities.
*Call for stronger international responsibility*
Lumumba urged international and regional bodies to take a more proactive role in preventing genocide, rather than issuing declarations without implementation.
“It is not the function of the international community to issue diktats without understanding circumstances on the ground,” he said, calling instead for meaningful engagement with local realities amid concerns over rising ethnic slurs targeting Banyamulenge and Tutsi communities in eastern DRC.
He stressed that prevention requires moral responsibility rooted in shared human values found across all major religions and philosophies.
Lessons from Rwanda’s recovery
While reflecting on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Lumumba also highlighted Rwanda’s recovery as a powerful example of resilience and reconstruction.
He praised the country’s leadership, led by President Paul Kagame and citizens for rebuilding a nation once devastated, noting that Rwanda has become a model of governance, order, and development.
“Rwanda, like the phoenix, rose from the ashes,” he said, describing Kigali as a benchmark for urban planning, infrastructure, and institutional efficiency.
He further commended Rwanda’s use of the Gacaca courts, which he described as an African-rooted system that contributed to reconciliation and justice by handling millions of cases at the community level.
Technology and new risks
Lumumba also warned that modern technology could accelerate the spread of hate and violence if misused.
“We are today in the era of artificial intelligence… if those who wanted to commit genocide decided to do so, they would do it in the twinkling of an eye,” he cautioned, highlighting the risks posed by social media and digital platforms in spreading misinformation and hate speech.
Concluding his remarks, Lumumba insisted that remembrance must be tied to responsibility.
“Never again must not be a slogan; it must be action,” he said, urging governments, institutions, and citizens to actively work to prevent the conditions that lead to genocide.
He ended with a call for unity and vigilance, emphasising that the lessons of history must be translated into sustained global action to ensure such atrocities are never repeated.
PLO Lumumba cautioned against revisionism and denialism, arguing that forgetting history increases the risk of repeating it.
Furthermore, any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran comes to an end, members of the House Armed Services Committee were told on Tuesday, according to the report. This means gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated through the U.S. midterm elections.
Iran may have emplaced 20 or more mines in and around the strait. Some were floated remotely using GPS technology, which has made it difficult for U.S. forces to detect the mines as they are deployed, a senior defense official told lawmakers. Others are believed to have been laid by Iranian forces using small boats.
The disclosure was made in a classified briefing for lawmakers, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell acknowledged in a statement, while criticizing the related reports as “inaccurate.”
“As we said in March, one assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and a six month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the (Defense) Secretary,” Parnell said, without specifying how long it could take.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News on Wednesday there is “no time frame” for ending the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
This file photo taken on Feb. 19, 2025 shows the Strait of Hormuz.
While the move is welcome, it has yet to generate momentum for dialogue. Iran has made it clear that it will not engage in a new round of talks unless Trump lifts his blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. The contrast between a prolonged ceasefire and stalled diplomacy underscores the fragility of the current situation.
Against this backdrop, several key questions arise: Why has Tehran refused to attend the talks? What is Washington’s real intention in extending the ceasefire while maintaining pressure? And where might the situation head next?
Why Iran refuses to negotiate
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Iran currently has no plan for the second round of peace negotiations with the United States.
Tehran’s attendance depends on Washington meeting preconditions, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing the U.S. naval blockade and “excessive demands” as key obstacles.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Monday that U.S. “provocative actions” and ceasefire violations are major obstacles to continuing peace negotiations between the two countries.
The United States takes actions that are in no way indicative of its seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process, Baghaei said, noting that since the ceasefire took effect on April 8, “we have been faced with the breaking of promises and nagging by the United States.”
He also noted an attack against an Iranian commercial ship earlier in the day, which he said is also considered a violation of the ceasefire.
Baghaei said that under UN General Assembly resolutions, the blockade of a country’s seas and ports is an act of aggression. He said Iran will carefully decide on how to proceed based on a single guiding principle: safeguarding the Iranian nation’s interests.
He said the issue of transferring Iran’s enriched uranium has never been an option in any of the negotiations, stressing the importance for Iran to maintain its nuclear, industrial and scientific achievements.
This file photo taken on Feb. 19, 2025 shows the Strait of Hormuz.
What’s Washington’s real intention?
The U.S. decision to extend the ceasefire indefinitely has been widely interpreted as an attempt to preserve a diplomatic window, but analysts caution that it also serves broader strategic purposes.
“Trump … remains eager for a diplomatic solution to the war, wary of reviving an unpopular conflict he’s claimed the United States already won,” CNN reported Wednesday.
However, the United States has not scaled back its military posture in the region. Multiple media outlets reported that U.S. naval deployments and surveillance activities in the Gulf have been maintained—and even intensified—during the ceasefire, suggesting continued pressure and the retention of military options.
The United States is expected to deploy three aircraft carrier strike groups simultaneously in the Middle East in the coming days, NBC reported on Monday.
The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and “remain ready and able,” Trump said Tuesday, although Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, told him that the blockade of Iranian ports would remain a major obstacle to meaningful diplomatic progress.
In this sense, the ceasefire extension is less a definitive step toward peace than a tactical maneuver to buy time for both negotiation and contingency planning.
This photo taken on April 18, 2026 shows a view of the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.
Where are U.S.-Iran talks headed?
“Trump’s ceasefire extension means nothing,” said Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led the Iranian negotiating delegation.
“The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response,” he added.
Araghchi said Monday that Iran would decide whether to continue diplomacy based on “all aspects of the issue” and U.S. behavior, adding that Tehran would take steps to protect its interests and national security.
“Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X on Monday. He said deep mistrust of U.S. conduct persists in Iran, with “unconstructive and contradictory signals” from American officials suggesting they seek Iran’s surrender.
Despite significant hurdles, a U.S. official said there is still a chance that U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet soon, though whether and when such talks might occur is far from certain, according to CNN reports.
“The question now is not whether diplomacy has failed, but whether both sides are willing to keep trying despite that failure,” said an analysis article published by Geojuristoday, a non-partisan think tank based in New Delhi.
This photo taken on April 20, 2026 shows an interior view of the Golestan Palace damaged by the U.S.-Israeli attacks, in Tehran, Iran.
Security reports circulating within the country and internationally painted a grim picture: the situation was rapidly deteriorating in multiple regions, yet any meaningful intervention still seemed far off.
That morning, Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR), issued an urgent appeal calling for the evacuation of most UN personnel.
In a letter addressed to Kofi Annan, he warned that large numbers of Tutsis were being killed, particularly in southern regions such as Gitarama, Butare, and Gikongoro.
He also reported intense fighting between government forces—formerly aligned with President Juvénal Habyarimana—and the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), the military wing of the RPF, which was attempting to stop the killings.
He described a night marked by heavy gunfire, including the use of powerful weapons. Reinforcements had reportedly been seen moving from Ruhengeri toward Kigali, and communication with the outside world had become extremely difficult.
Efforts had been made to coordinate with airport authorities and the RPA to keep Kigali International Airport neutral, although this remained uncertain. By that time, a group of UN troops had already been evacuated to Nairobi.
Booh-Booh also indicated that government troops were unwilling to relinquish control of the airport. Instead, they proposed jointly managing it with UNAMIR, a move he suggested was aimed at maintaining strategic advantage.
There were concerns that control of the airport could be used to pressure the RPA into accepting a ceasefire without first addressing the ongoing mass killings.
He warned that the airport could become a major flashpoint, as both sides sought to control it and its surroundings. This, he noted, posed serious risks to UN operations, including the evacuation process, supply lines, and the safety of peacekeepers.
Booh-Booh further expressed doubts about the government forces’ willingness to pursue peace. He cited an earlier incident on April 19, when mortar shells were fired into Amahoro Stadium, a site under UN protection where many Tutsi civilians had sought refuge. The attack left several people dead and dozens injured, and additional shelling in surrounding areas caused further civilian casualties.
Given the worsening security situation, he warned that UN personnel themselves were at risk and recommended a rapid withdrawal. He suggested that a reduced force—around 250 personnel, both military and civilian—could remain to monitor humanitarian efforts and any potential ceasefire.
Despite advocating for a large-scale troop withdrawal, he stressed that civilians sheltering in locations such as Hotel des Mille Collines, Red Cross facilities, St. Michel, and other areas were in grave danger, as killings had already intensified across Kigali.
The UN Security Council had originally established UNAMIR on October 5, 1993, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire, to oversee the implementation of the Arusha Peace Accords between the government of Habyarimana and the RPF.
However, following Booh-Booh’s warning, the Security Council decided on April 21, 1994, to drastically reduce the UNAMIR force—from about 2,500 troops to just 270. The decision was largely influenced by pressure from member states, particularly after the killing of 10 Belgian peacekeepers.
Those Belgian soldiers had been assigned to protect Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. They, along with the Prime Minister, were killed by government troops from the Kanombe military camp on the morning of April 7, 1994.
The withdrawal marked a critical moment in the genocide, significantly weakening international presence at a time when mass killings were escalating, and leaving countless civilians without protection.
The UN Security Council had originally established UNAMIR on October 5, 1993, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire, to oversee the implementation of the Arusha Peace Accords.Following Booh-Booh’s warning, the Security Council decided on April 21, 1994, to drastically reduce the UNAMIR force—from about 2,500 troops to just 270.
Speaking at a press conference after meeting with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Macron urged a “political agreement” between Israel and Lebanon to guarantee security for both countries, safeguard Lebanon’s territorial integrity, and pave the way for normalized relations.
Macron also warned that the European Union (EU) could reconsider its ties with Israel if its policies remain unchanged. He said suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement – which has governed trade relations since 2000 – would become a “legitimate question” under such circumstances.
Addressing broader regional tensions, Macron called for extending negotiations between the United States and Iran as their ceasefire approaches expiration, stressing that “war must not be allowed to resume.”
For his part, Salam reiterated Lebanon’s demand for the “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces from its territory, along with the return of Lebanese prisoners and displaced persons.
French President Emmanuel Macron (L, front) greets visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (R, front) at Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 21, 2026. French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that Israel must “renounce its territorial ambitions” in Lebanon, calling for a political settlement to ensure regional stability. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua)
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The U.S. president said he will “extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and “remain ready and able,” Trump said.
Trump said on Monday that it was “highly unlikely” for him to extend the truce, and on Tuesday morning he told U.S. media that he doesn’t want to do that, expecting the United States to “end up with a great deal” with Iran while threatening to bomb Iran again if no deal is reached.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, whose trip to Pakistan for talks with Iran has been put on hold, was at the White House for meetings on Tuesday, along with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, multiple media outlets reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived at the White House on Tuesday afternoon to join discussions over Washington’s next steps, according to the reports.
The United States violated the ceasefire by starting a naval blockade of Iran’s ports, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday on X.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state TV late Tuesday that Iran has not yet decided whether to join fresh peace talks since it was upset about what he called mixed messages from Washington.
“It is not out of indecisiveness, it is because we are facing contradictory messages and behaviors, and unacceptable actions from the American counterpart,” Beghaei said.
As U.S. forces have intercepted and taken custody of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday and Iran has not yet announced its decision to send a negotiating team for talks, the prospect of an expected second round of U.S.-Iran talks remains unclear, according to media reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the ceasefire with Iran as the current two-week truce is set to expire on Wednesday night.
