The Broken Promise of Peace: Why International Mediation Fails in Eastern Congo
With hopeful anticipation, a new peace deal for eastern Congo was announced in March 2026. Yet within a month, it was already broken. For more than two decades, peace negotiations have continued to be signed to establish peace in eastern Congo. Despite many regional and international initiatives, the conflict continues. This situation reveals a failure for actors involved in to understand the heart of the crisis as well as its roots. Until peace efforts deal with the underlying realities, regional rivalries, weak governance and economic interests, the initiatives are likely to continue on the same path: hope, failure and violence.