Government spokesperson and Minister of Communications Patrick Muyaya reaffirmed Kinshasa’s position during a press conference, noting that before signing any economic agreement, the conditions for peace on the ground must be met.

The REIF is one of the elements proposed in the peace agreement signed with Rwanda on June 27, mediated by the United States.

Media outlets present at the meeting, such as Actualite.CD, questioned why the framework agreement was signed with Kigali in Washington.

Muyaya commented that just as the Washington Agreement was preceded by a declaration of principles, so too was the creation of the regional economic integration framework, and throughout the text, peace is the first condition that must allow the others to be met.

He added that almost four months after the signing, confrontations and the presence of troops supporting the rebels of the Congo River Alliance-March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) still persist on the ground.

“This does not mean that the work done by our experts, both American and Rwandan, has failed; it is work that can be implemented when the conditions for a return to peace are met, which we hope will be definitive and lasting,” the spokesperson said. jdt/arm/mem/kmg