We push for June Peace Agreement between Rwanda and Congo | Today news

(Correct the title of Fitrell in paragraph 2) Kinshasa (Reuters) -The United States urges progress in peace negotiations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a senior US diplomat underlining an ‘extremely aggressive timeline’ for a potential agreement until June or July. Troy Fitrell, the senior official of the US Bureau of Africa, said during an online conference this week that technical teams are working to move the process forward. “This week we have technical teams here to try to get to the next phase,” Fitrell said. “We did these principles. Now we have argued about the principles of these principles. We are still shooting for a peace agreement in June or July. ‘ “There is no sense to deceive about this. If we are going to do this, we are doing it now, ‘he added, emphasizing Washington’s effort to accelerate negotiations. A planned meeting in May between the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the DRC did not take place, which emphasizes constant tension and the fragility of the peace process. In a separate but parallel mediation effort in Doha, delegations from the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group were revoked for further talks after consultations this week, sources from both sides told Reuters. The Qatar-led process is seen as a supplementary track aimed at addressing the armed conflict in the eastern Congo, where M23 rebels have seized the area in recent months. Despite regional and international efforts, distrust remains deep between Kinshasa and Kigali. The DRC accuses Rwanda of the support of M23, a charge that Rwanda denies. The US has played a growing role in trying to bridge differences, but diplomats warn that the achievement of a durable settlement will require political will on all sides. (Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Daniel Wales)