U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will preside over the signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday in Washington, the State Department said. The accord—mediated by the United States and Qatar—aims to end nearly three decades of conflict in eastern Congo that regional and U.S. officials describe as the world’s deadliest since World War II. According to a briefing by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the document commits both governments to respect territorial integrity, halt hostilities, disarm non-state armed groups, establish a joint security coordination mechanism and facilitate the return of refugees. It also lays out a framework for regional economic integration. While Washington hailed the deal as “an important step for peace in the Great Lakes region,” Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege warned that its vague economic provisions could reward past aggression if implementation and accountability are not enforced. Rubio’s diplomatic push continues next week when he hosts foreign ministers from Australia, India and Japan for the 2025 Quad meeting on 1 July. The session, his second with the group since taking office in January, is intended to reinforce cooperation on security, technology and economic resilience to support what U.S. officials term a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.