{"id":54040,"date":"2025-04-25T21:49:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T21:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/rwanda-and-drc-sign-declaration-of-principles-to-foster-regional-stablity\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T15:14:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T15:14:08","slug":"rwanda-and-drc-sign-declaration-of-principles-to-foster-regional-stablity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rwanda-and-drc-sign-declaration-of-principles-to-foster-regional-stablity\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda and DRC sign &#8216;Declaration of Principles&#8217; to foster regional stability"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The agreement, endorsed by DRC Foreign Minister Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, aims to address the region\u2019s decades-long conflict.<\/p>\n<p>In his remarks, Secretary Rubio hailed the declaration as a critical step toward ending violence and unlocking the region\u2019s potential. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis declaration establishes a fundamental framework for regional governance, security, and economic cooperation, aiming to end decades of conflict and unlock the region\u2019s full potential,\u201d Rubio stated, commending the commitment of both nations to engage in vital dialogue.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio also acknowledged the challenges of achieving lasting peace in eastern DRC, a region plagued by 30 years of instability. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor 30 years, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has endured persistent conflict. Achieving durable peace and long-lasting economic development will not be easy, but it is critical,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio credited President Donald Trump\u2019s administration for prioritizing global peace, emphasizing that the signing reflects Trump\u2019s vision for a peaceful resolution in the region. <\/p>\n<p>He highlighted the broader benefits of stability, stating, \u201cA durable peace in the Great Lakes region will pave the way for greater U.S. and Western investment, fostering economic opportunities and prosperity.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He noted that American firms, as responsible corporate citizens, would promote good governance and reliable supply chains for critical minerals, benefiting regional governments and international partners.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio stressed that peace is essential for economic progress, which would allow millions of displaced people to return to safer communities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis stability will enable millions of displaced people to return to safer communities, access new economic opportunities, and rebuild lives that have been disrupted for generations,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n<p>The Secretary also praised the African Union and regional economic communities for their foundational role in facilitating dialogue. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must recognize the incredible work of the African Union and regional economic communities in Africa, which have laid the groundwork for these talks,\u201d Rubio said. <\/p>\n<p>He committed to ongoing U.S. collaboration with these partners to ensure the initiative\u2019s success.<\/p>\n<p>In closing, Rubio thanked Senior Adviser Massad Boulos and his counterparts in the DRC and Rwanda for their dedication. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday marks a significant step toward a peaceful and prosperous Great Lakes region,\u201d he concluded, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to supporting the region\u2019s path to stability and growth.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on behalf of President Paul Kagame and the Rwandan government, Rwanda\u2019s Foreign Minister, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe emphasized the importance of tackling root causes and fostering regional cooperation for lasting peace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, we are talking about the real issues, the root causes that must be addressed, to achieve a lasting peace in our region,\u201d Amb. Nduhungirehe said, underscoring the focus on security, refugee return, and economic integration through new regional value chains with American investment.<\/p>\n<p>He expressed gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Senior Adviser Massad Boulos for their roles in advancing the dialogue. <\/p>\n<p>Amb. Nduhungirehe also noted that the Declaration of Principles supports African-led peace efforts, including those under the East African Community, Southern African Development Community, and Qatar\u2019s Doha track, with the ultimate goal of a comprehensive peace agreement.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-86392\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250425-wa0063.jpg\" alt=\"The agreement, endorsed by DRC Foreign Minister Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, aims to address the region\u2019s decades-long conflict. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the U.S. Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio. \" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The agreement, endorsed by DRC Foreign Minister Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, aims to address the region\u2019s decades-long conflict. In his remarks, Secretary Rubio hailed the declaration as a critical step toward ending violence and unlocking the region\u2019s potential. \u201cThis declaration establishes a fundamental framework for regional governance, security, and economic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000086391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[72,75],"byline":[160],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-54040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured-news-home","tag-homenews","byline-theophile-niyitegeka"],"bylines":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"contributors":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":3}],"featured_image":{"id":2000086391,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250425-wa0060.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250425-wa0060.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250425-wa0060.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250425-wa0060.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250425-wa0060.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250425-wa0060.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000086391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54040"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=54040"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=54040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}