The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Rwanda, the State of Qatar, and the African Union on the occasion of the first Joint Oversight Committee held this week in Washington, D.C. 

On July 31, 2025, representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda (Rwanda), along with observers from the United States, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union facilitator), and the African Union Commission held the first meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee for the Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Rwanda that was signed in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2025.

The Joint Oversight Committee is charged with serving as a forum for implementation and dispute resolution of the peace agreement.  The Committee is responsible for receiving complaints about violations of the agreement, taking appropriate measures to address violations, and amicably settling disputes.  During the first meeting, the parties selected their Chairpersons for the Committee, adopted terms of reference to govern future meetings of the Committee, discussed progress on implementing the Agreement, and prepared for the first meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism.

The African Union, State of Qatar, and the United States participated in these discussions to ensure complementarity and alignment between implementation efforts and on-going initiatives aimed at dialogue and durable peace in the region.  Both the DRC and Rwanda expressed their appreciation for the invaluable contributions and joint efforts of the African Union, United States, and Qatar as partners in advancing a peaceful resolution.

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