Uganda VP Alupo to witness DRC-Rwanda peace, prosperity deal signing in Washington

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Uganda’s Vice-President, Jessica Alupo, has arrived in Washington, DC, to witness the signing of the peace agreement between the DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

The signing of the US-mediated peace deal Thursday, December 4, 2025, is expected to silence the raging and blazing guns in the war-torn eastern DRC.

US president Donald Trump, who is expected to bring together Kagame and Tshisekedi, hopes the agreement will pave the way for the US to gain control over critical minerals in the eastern DRC, a region home to many of the key ingredients in modern technologies such as electric cars.

Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo being welcomed in Washington DC, US. (Courtesy photo)

Alupo, who is representing President Yoweri Museveni, was received by Elise K. McSwain, the Deputy Director of Flightline Protocol, 89th Airlift Wing of the Joint Base Andrews, Head of mission at Uganda's Washington DC Embassy Robinah Kakonge, Deputy Head of Mission Ambassador Tayebwa Katureebe and George Tebagana, the First Secretary, among other dignitaries, upon arrival at the Joint Base Andrews, a US military installation.

Uganda's presence in Washington is widely viewed as a powerful acknowledgement of Uganda’s consistent and constructive role in fostering peace and stability across the Great Lakes region. Under Museveni’s leadership, Uganda has earned a long-standing reputation as a champion of dialogue, military professionalism, and regional cooperation.

For years, President Museveni has been at the forefront of efforts to de-escalate tensions between regional governments and to support mechanisms that address cross-border insecurity.

Eastern DRC has endured decades of conflict involving more than 100 armed groups. Among the most prominent is the M23 rebel movement, rooted in the post-1994 Rwandan genocide landscape and composed largely of ethnic Tutsi fighters.

After resurfacing in 2021, M23 seized key towns in North Kivu, fuelling heightened tensions as Kinshasa accused Kigali of supporting the insurgents, allegations Rwanda has consistently denied.

The violence has displaced millions, destabilised communities and prompted urgent international concern. Regional governments, including Uganda, have continually emphasised the need for a political settlement that prioritises security, humanitarian protection, and long-term reconstruction.

The upcoming White House signing is expected to establish clear security guarantees, a framework for demobilisation, and enhanced joint economic cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda.

Today’s peace accord signing ceremony follows years of mediation by Angola with regard to the situation in Eastern DRC.

Following the signing of the Washington peace Accords for peace and stability between DRC and Rwanda, the U.S Chamber of Commerce’s US-Africa Business Centre and the US Department of State’s Africa Bureau will co-host a high-level fireside chat and private sector dialogue to launch the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF).