By Sonia Rolley and Daphne Psaledakis
PARIS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo will commit to working with third parties, including the U.S., to revamp their mineral supply chains and develop reforms, according to a draft of an economic framework seen by Reuters, as they seek to spur investment following a peace deal reached in Washington.
The countries agreed on the draft framework, which is part of the peace deal, a source familiar with the matter said, adding that the draft was now being discussed by stakeholders, including the private sector, multilateral banks, and some donor agencies of other countries.
Congo and Rwanda will likely meet in early October to finalize the framework, the source added. It would be signed by heads of state at a later date.
The 17-page framework comes after the countries signed a peace deal in Washington in June at talks held by U.S. President Donald Trump‘s administration. The deal aims to end fighting that has killed thousands and attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium.
The draft builds on an outline for the framework reached in August and sets out implementation measures and coordination mechanisms. The August outline called for cooperation on energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health.
Congo, Rwanda, and the U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
REGULATORY INITIATIVES, REFORMS
According to the draft, the parties would pledge to work with the United States and other international partners to develop additional regulatory initiatives and reforms “necessary to de-risk private sector investment in a cost-effective manner,” to reduce illicit trade and increase transparency.
They would also adopt outside transparency mechanisms, including committing to implement guidance from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, among others.
The draft framework calls for third-party inspections of mine sites and working with private sector partners to develop cross-border special economic zones, according to the draft.
The framework also sets out coordination mechanisms, including timelines for an annual high-level summit on regional economic integration and meetings of a steering committee and technical working groups.
Kinshasa and Kigali, as part of the deal reached in Washington in June, had agreed to launch the regional economic integration framework within 90 days.
In that agreement, the parties pledged to implement a 2024 deal that would see Rwandan troops withdraw from eastern Congo within 90 days. Congolese military operations targeting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based armed group that includes remnants of Rwanda’s former army and militias that carried out the 1994 genocide, are meant to conclude over the same timeframe.
