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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 46599, member: 636"] Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace deal Friday at the State Department in Washington. The two African nations have fought for decades over eastern Congo territory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the ceremony at 1:30 p.m. local time. Thérèse Kayikwamba represents Congo as Foreign Secretary during the signing. Rwanda will send its own top diplomat to complete the agreement. Negotiators from both countries finished talks on June 18 with American and Qatari help. The deal requires Rwanda to pull its troops out of Congo territory completely. Both nations must stop helping armed rebel groups that operate across their border. Military forces will lay down weapons and some fighters can join official armies. A complete ceasefire takes effect once leaders sign the document. Congo leaders call this their biggest diplomatic win in more than 30 years. The agreement creates a new partnership between Congo and the United States. Eastern Congo has suffered from violence that forced 1.5 million people from their homes. The M23 rebel group controls parts of mineral-rich provinces with suspected Rwandan support. United Nations investigators confirmed Rwanda sent soldiers and artillery to help the rebels. Previous peace efforts through African organizations failed to stop the fighting. American diplomats succeeded where others could not make progress. The State Department plans a summit later to bring regional presidents together. Leaders hope the agreement will end one of Africa's longest conflicts and bring stability to the Great Lakes region. [/QUOTE]

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