Key Takeaways
- •The Washington Accords were lauded for bringing DRC and Rwanda to negotiate, but Rep. Jacobs (D) highlighted continued M23 occupation and Rwanda's ongoing support, despite U.S. pressure for withdrawal from Uvira.
- •Ambassador Tony Hall passionately described the horrific child labor in DRC's cobalt mines, calling the resulting products "blood batteries" and advocating for consumer education and strong legislation.
- •Rep. Jacobs (D) pressed Mr. Neema on the U.S.-led peace process's strengths and weaknesses, with Mr. Neema emphasizing the need for a broader, AU-led Congolese dialogue.
- •Rep. Smith (R) championed legislation to block Chinese cobalt from child labor, while Rep. Jacobs (D) criticized the Trump administration's foreign assistance cuts and lack of accountability for spoilers.
- •Panelists urged continued U.S. pressure, potential sanctions against Rwanda, and an inclusive, AU-led Congolese dialogue to address internal governance failures for lasting peace.
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Hearing Analysis
Key Testimony
On February 10, 2026, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa convened a hearing titled "Advancing Peace in DRC and Rwanda through President Trump’s Washington Accords – Part II." Chaired by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ-4), the session served as a follow-up to previous testimony from the State Department, focusing on the implementation of the Washington Accords signed in December 2025. The hearing aimed to evaluate the progress of the peace process between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the role of critical mineral supply chains, and the persistent humanitarian crisis in the region.
Overview
The hearing opened with Chairman Smith emphasizing the historic nature of the Washington Accords, which brought the DRC and Rwanda to the negotiating table for the first time in modern history. However, he noted that "spoilers" continue to threaten the process, citing a recent attack in Kisangani as evidence of lingering instability. Ranking Member Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51) offered a more critical assessment, arguing that despite the administration's claims of success, violence has escalated, with 7.3 million people internally displaced and over 7,000 killed in 2025 alone. She specifically criticized the administration for cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in USAID funding to the DRC, which she claimed has crippled efforts to combat HIV, cholera, and sexual violence.
Key Testimony
Key testimony was provided by three witnesses. Mr. Ethan Tan, a Policy Analyst at the America First Policy Institute, defended the accords as a "monumental moment" that delivers tangible benefits to the American people by securing critical mineral supply chains. He argued that the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF) within the accords incentivizes peace by linking stability to shared development in minerals, infrastructure, and energy. Tan noted that the U.S. has successfully pressured Rwanda and the M23 rebel group to withdraw from certain positions, such as the city of Uvira, though he acknowledged that further sanctions might be necessary if aggressions continue.
Overview
The Honorable Tony Hall, representing Africa New Day, focused heavily on the humanitarian and ethical dimensions of the conflict. Drawing parallels to his work on the Kimberley Process for "blood diamonds," Hall described the cobalt extracted from the DRC as fueling "blood batteries" for Western electronics and electric vehicles (EVs). He estimated that between 40,000 and 200,000 children work in Congolese mines under brutal conditions. Hall urged the committee to pass legislation mandating transparency in the cobalt supply chain and to educate American consumers about the human cost of their technology.
Mr. Christian-Géraud Neema, a Nonresident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, provided a strategic critique of the peace process. While acknowledging the value of the Washington Accords in clarifying Rwanda's role in the conflict, Neema argued that the bilateral focus ignores the internal drivers of instability in the DRC, such as weak governance, corruption, and the proliferation of local armed groups like the ADF and CODECO. He warned that the REIF might fail if it does not include other regional actors like Uganda and Burundi. Neema strongly advocated for an African Union (AU)-led national dialogue that includes Congolese civil society and faith-based organizations to ensure "societal buy-in."
Policy proposals discussed during the hearing included Chairman Smith’s Cobalt Supply Chain Act (H.R. 2310), which would create a rebuttable presumption that cobalt refined in China is produced with forced or child labor and is therefore inadmissible to the U.S. market. Smith also highlighted H.Res. 586, which recognizes the indispensable role of faith-based groups like the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) in brokering peace. Witnesses and members also discussed the need for the State Department to publish the delayed list of countries violating the Child Soldiers Prevention Act.
Industry Impact
The industry impact of the discussion centered on the mining and technology sectors. The DRC holds an estimated $24 trillion in mineral resources, including 70 percent of the world's cobalt. Witnesses noted that the current supply chain is dominated by Chinese state-owned companies, which the Washington Accords seek to bypass by fostering direct U.S. investment in projects like the Lobito Corridor and the Banana Deepwater Port. However, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7) and Mr. Neema cautioned that industrial mining expansion must be accompanied by legal reforms to ensure local communities benefit from the wealth and are protected from forced evictions.
Key Testimony
Partisan dynamics were evident throughout the session. Republican members generally praised the Trump administration's high-level diplomatic engagement and "America First" approach to mineral security. In contrast, Democrats expressed deep concern over the exclusion of women and civil society from the peace negotiations. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) highlighted a notable exchange regarding the lack of female representation on the witness panel and reports that Congolese civil society advocates had been denied visas to attend the hearing. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-1) challenged the "peace through strength" doctrine, advocating instead for "peace through righteousness" and greater investment in the Congolese people rather than just the minerals beneath their soil.
Notable exchanges also touched on the role of international peacekeeping. Chairman Smith expressed disappointment over South Africa’s decision to withdraw its troops from the UN mission (MONUSCO) by late 2026. Witnesses agreed that while MONUSCO has been flawed, a robust security presence remains necessary until the DRC can reform its own military (FARDC).
Overview
The hearing concluded with Chairman Smith promising future sessions to hear directly from faith leaders and civil society. He emphasized that the U.S. would continue to monitor the commitments made by President Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Kagame of Rwanda, suggesting that the threat of sanctions remains a primary tool for ensuring compliance with the Washington Accords.
Transcript
The hearing will come to order, and I want to thank our very distinguished witnesses for being here today to share very valuable insights on next steps, what we can do to support the peace process between the DRC and Rwanda. My own engagement, like that of my good friend and former colleague Tony Hall, goes back many, many decades. Tony, as we all know, was a member of Congress. He chaired the Select Committee on Hunger and also was our ambassador in Rome for food and did an amazing job there. I remember visiting him there a couple times when he was ambassador, and nobody was more robust and more aggressive in trying to ensure that people who were hungry got food to eat that was sufficient and strengthening to them. So Tony, thank you for your work too. It's been decades of it, many decades, and we have traveled together many times to Africa. So it's great to see you again. And I thank both of our witnesses, all three. We are focusing on the obviously the peace agreement, the accords, Washington Accords that were entered into in early December. And I was privileged to be with our Chairman Mast in attendance as part of the audience to see that historic signing with great hope and expectations and knowing that there might be a number of roadblocks ahead, and there have been, as we know so well. But it's a start, and it's a very significant start. Bringing both parties to negotiate at the same table was historic in and of itself. First time in modern history where such progress has been made on this conflict. Many deals were agreed to. Economic and security benefits that they will unleash for the DRC, for Rwanda, and the U.S. are very significant and will hopefully improve the quality of life for many who have suffered the terrible, terrible consequences of war over these many years. Ensuring that all sides follow through on their commitments made at the signing in December is not only in the U.S. national interest, and it is, but most importantly, it's for the millions of people who suffer from that war. This is for future generations of Congolese and Rwandan children as well as those living today and for the memory of the some 6,000,000 dead from this decades-long conflict, a human toll that is both staggering and intolerable. The urgency of this mission was brought home to us with the devastating clarity just a few days ago with another cowardly attack as a grim reminder that the peace has its enemies. This violence targeting a city that had long yearned for stability was a calculated attempt by the spoilers to shatter the hope generated by these accords. It underscores exactly why this hearing and other hearings on the Senate side and other expressions of solidarity with the peace process, why this is so important and that we stand behind those who do want peace and security in those two countries. Regrettably, past hearings have revealed that the international and U.S. response has often not borne results, especially in the face of such violence. Today, I do believe that is changing. Our hope is that the President's initiative will bear fruit so that everyone could live with peace and tranquility. I have called this hearing today because there continues to be very serious spoilers to the peace process, belligerents who act to undermine and embarrass all parties, including the United States. The Kisangani attack is a symptom of this lingering rot. Our goal today is to ensure that all parties and all people understand that the benefits of the Washington Accords and that the governments of Rwanda and DRC are clear on the steps that truly must be taken now in order to get there. The incentives are spelled out clearly in the Regional Economic Integration Framework, mandating that the DRC and Rwanda develop a structured roadmap for economic integration, covering mineral supply chains, infrastructure, energy, and tourism. Critically, the Washington Accords include a four-phase concept of operations that both parties have agreed to. This is essential for Rwanda agreeing to pull its troops back, but only if the DRC follows a synchronized schedule to eliminate the FDLR militia. While the FDLR's genocidal ideology continues to be Rwanda's primary national security concern, we also expect and demand that M23 and Rwanda take the measures to demobilize the combatants under their control. Durable peace cannot be built by governments alone. It requires the moral authority and ground-level engagement of civil society, particularly faith-based groups that I described in a resolution that I've introduced, H.Res. 586. Their networks provide the truth-telling, I should say. We need to ensure that the benefits of peace reach the poorest rather than just enriching the powerful. As such, we must recognize the indispensable role of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo, or CENCO, and the Church of Christ in Congo, ECC, together with the African Union. Time and again, when political solutions faltered, CENCO and ECC stepped in. We remember their pivotal leadership in brokering the Saint Sylvester Agreement on New Year's Eve in 2016, which prevented the total collapse of the state, and the 2025 Social Pact for Peace and Living Together to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis and violence in the region. Today, as we implement and seek the implementation of the Washington Accords, groups like CENCO and ECC are not just observers. They are key to facilitating an inclusive national dialogue in the DRC that includes all the actors of civil society, religious confessions, political parties, and armed groups to promote social cohesion, national unity, and the principle of good governance. This morning, I met for about an hour and a half with the two leaders, Monsignor Shole and Pastor Nshanyi, and they were very optimistic but very realistic about the obstacles that they are facing, and they want to play a very real role in doing this. They also spoke a great deal about the President of Angola, President Lourenço, who is convening a dialogue which hopefully will bear significant fruit, hopefully will be up and underway in this month. It is critical that voices are heard and respected and that the personal security of civil society actors are absolutely protected. As we implement these agreements, the U.S. is also breaking its dependence on minerals that finance the Chinese Communist Party, often extracted through forced child labor and adult forced labor, stopping indirectly supporting the CCP's efforts to fuel instability and regional conflict in Africa. President Trump's executive order, immediate measures to increase American mineral production, was a crucial step towards strengthening our domestic supply chains as in the Washington Accords. In 2023 and again in 2025, I held a series of hearings highlighting the greatest beneficiaries of the conflict and critical minerals system, China's state-owned mining companies. We can't remain silent. We've got to confront this, and I have introduced legislation, H.R. 2310, the Cobalt Supply Chain Act, which ensures that goods made using or containing cobalt refined in the PRC do not enter the United States market under the presumption that the cobalt is extracted or processed with the use of child and forced labor in the DRC. We had four hearings on it. We heard from people who said this is what it's doing to the kids, anywhere from 25,000 to 40,000 children who are working in these artisanal mines and also are getting sick. Sometimes the mines collapse, sometimes they die. And of course, the adults, upwards of 200,000, are being coerced in these mines by the Chinese Communist Party to produce, to produce. And where does it all go? It goes to Xinjiang, a place where genocide is taking place under Xi Jinping. So that has to end, and it has to end now. Hopefully, this agreement will preclude the need for such a bill, but if not, we've got to pass that legislation and end our complicity when you buy an EV that has been made with child labor in the DR Congo. I'd like to yield to Ms. Jacobs for any opening comments.
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