DR Congo, Rwanda outline deal: US

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have reached an outline economic cooperation accord during their first talks since signing a peace deal, the United States announced.

A peace agreement reached in June aimed to end decades of conflict in eastern Congo. It was overseen by Washington which has sought to increase its access to the region's vast mineral wealth.

The "economic integration framework" initialled on Friday is part of the peace accord, the US State Department said.

It is designed, according to the peace deal, to introduce greater transparency into supply chains for critical minerals such as coltan and lithium and should be effective by the end of September.

The State Department said the two countries had agreed to coordinate "in areas including energy, infrastructure, mining, national park management and tourism, and public health", without giving further details.

"These milestones represent concrete progress in advancing security, economic cooperation, and the shared pursuit of peace and prosperity under the Peace Agreement," Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump's senior advisor on Africa, posted on X.

Eastern DRC, a region bordering Rwanda with abundant natural resources, saw a fresh surge of violence this year when the M23 armed group, backed by Rwandan troops, captured the key cities of Goma and Bukavu.