Representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda on Wednesday agreed to a series of coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions and advance progress towards peace in the region, according to a joint statement released by the US State Department.

The agreement comes amid an ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, with fighting between DRC government forces and the M23 rebel group continuing despite a US-brokered peace agreement signed last year. The M23 staged a rapid advance through the region in early 2025, seizing major cities and drawing accusations that Rwanda provided direct military support.

According to Wednesday’s joint statement, the two countries committed to concrete steps toward implementing the Washington Accords, the peace framework both countries signed last December. The agreement calls for Rwanda to disengage its forces from defined areas in DRC territory, and for the DRC to make efforts to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.

Wednesday’s announcement follows heightened tensions over Rwanda’s role in the conflict. Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the Rwanda Defense Force for allegedly providing support and military equipment to M23. Rwanda denied backing M23 and called the sanctions unjust. Human rights groups have also documented abuses by Rwandan military forces and affiliated militias against civilians in eastern DRC. The joint statement Wednesday reaffirmed both governments’ commitment to protection of civilians.

The agreement also comes as the international peacekeeping presence in the region has shifted. In January, South Africa announced it would withdraw its 700 troops from MONUSCO, the UN stabilization mission in the DRC.