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US: Rwanda and Congo agree on outline of economic integration framework in peace deal

According to the U.S. State Department the U.S. State Department reported that the U.S. State Department and the U.S. State Department announced on Friday an outline of the regional economic integration frame work. The two countries are taking steps towards implementing the peace agreement signed last month in Washington.

The framework includes elements on energy, infrastructures, mineral supply chains and national parks, as well as public health.

In June, Rwanda and Congo signed an agreement in Washington, DC, at the talks hosted by President Donald Trump. The deal aims to end fighting that has claimed thousands of lives and to attract Western investment worth billions of dollars to a region with tantalum and gold deposits, as well as copper, lithium, and cobalt.

The agreement stated that Kinshasa, Kigali and the other parties to the agreement agreed to launch an economic integration framework for the region within 90 days.

Sources familiar with the issue said that a draft framework had been approved and now there will be a period of input to gather feedback from the civil society and private sector before the final version is released.

The White House is planning to sign the framework at a summit of head of state. The source stated that no date had been set for the meeting.

According to a copy of the statement seen by, Rwanda and Congo stated that each country had "full sovereign control" of the exploitation and processing of their natural resources, and acknowledged the importance of developing the mineral processing and transformation capability within each country.

Kinshasa sees the looting of its mineral resources as the key factor in the conflict between their forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 M23 rebels of eastern Congo.

In May, it was reported that Congolese minerals, such as tungsten tantalum, and tin which Kinshasa accuses the neighbouring Rwanda for illegally exploiting.

exported legitimately

Sources claim that the U.S. is negotiating a deal to send the shipments to Rwanda to be processed.

According to the joint statement, the two countries have committed themselves to making sure that the minerals trade does not provide funding for armed groups, to creating a world class industrial mining sector in this region and to improving cross-border interoperability of mineral supply chains.

The two countries also agreed to link new infrastructure with the U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor to demonstrate Washington's desire to gain greater access to resources and counter China.

The Ruzizi hydropower project, and the Lake Kivu methane extraction were the only projects specifically mentioned in the U.S. statement despite the emphasis placed by the U.S. on critical minerals. The countries stated that they would prioritize funding for Ruzizi, and work together in order to sustainably exploit methane gas.

(source: Reuters)