After two days of discussions (on March 17 and 18) focused on implementing the Washington Peace Agreement, the Tshisekedi regime made a familiar commitment once again. It “agreed to undertake time-bound and intensified efforts to neutralize the FDLR.”
But this is so unlikely it almost sounds like a joke.
This is not the first time such a promise has been made. For years, the Tshisekedi regime has deceitfully committed to dismantling the FDLR, even as repeated warnings have pointed to its collaboration with the genocidal militia as a serious threat to regional stability. Whether this latest pledge will be honored remains uncertain.
Still, the Washington dialogue leaves behind an important takeaway. It reveals how the Trump administration currently views the crisis in eastern DRC. By calling for deadlines and stronger efforts to neutralize the FDLR, the United States is signaling that it understands a key reality. The Kinshasa regime has consistently shied away from this responsibility and has faced little meaningful pressure to act.
In practice, Tshisekedi has done the opposite of what Washington demands. Even as calls to neutralize the FDLR grow louder, senior military and government officials in Kinshasa have reassured the terrorist group of continued cooperation. They have gone as far as describing the FDLR as playing an essential role in ongoing military operations.
Support for FDLR within Tshisekedi’s coalition has not stopped. The regime has continued to channel significant financial resources to groups such as the FDLR and Wazalendo. Evidence points to as much as $300,000 per month being distributed through the office of the governor of North Kivu.
This raises a fundamental question. If it is widely understood that the Tshisekedi regime lacks the political will to neutralize the FDLR, a group responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, why is there no serious pressure to enforce compliance? Why are there no consequences strong enough to change behavior?
At the same time, Rwanda faces sanctions for taking defensive measures, even as the threat it confronts continues to grow. The contradiction is difficult to ignore.
On one side, a government accused of cooperating with a dangerous armed group faces limited consequences. On the other hand, a country responding to that threat is penalized.
In the end, peace in the region will not be achieved through this approach. Applying soft pressure while overlooking continued collaboration with armed groups risks prolonging the crisis rather than resolving it.
If Washington is serious about stability in eastern DRC, it must move beyond managing the problem and begin addressing its root causes with consistency and resolve.
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