The United States is stepping back into a fragile diplomatic space, summoning senior officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to Washington this week in an effort to revive stalled peace efforts in eastern DRC, according to diplomatic sources and DRC's presidency.

The talks, scheduled to begin on March 17 with separate bilateral meetings, mark the first high-level engagement between the parties since Washington imposed sanctions earlier this month on senior Rwandan military officers.

On March 2, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned the Rwanda Defense Force and four of its senior officers, an escalation reflecting growing American frustration over the conflict. The move has cast a long shadow over the upcoming discussions, raising questions about whether diplomacy can progress amid mounting pressure.

However, Kinshasa framed the meetings less as a breakthrough and more as a continuation. A spokesperson for the presidency described them as previously scheduled sessions under existing frameworks; the Joint Oversight Committee (JOC) and the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM). 

Both frameworks are pillars of the Washington agreements, which aim to establish a bilateral peace accord between the DRC and Rwanda while deepening strategic ties between the DRC and the United States.

At the heart of the tensions is the resurgence of the M23 rebel group. Washington has repeatedly accused Kigali of supporting the rebels, whose rapid territorial gains have destabilized eastern DRC. Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations.

The timing of the Washington meetings is notable as they coincide with the Powering Africa Summit, which has drawn dozens of African officials to the US capital, including several energy ministers.

Still, uncertainty hangs over the talks. Rwanda's foreign ministry and the US Department of State have yet to publicly comment, and it remains unclear whether the trilateral meeting will proceed, which is a decision that hinges on progress in the initial bilateral discussions.

Edited by CGTN Africa reporter Marion Gachuhi