Reports indicate that officials from East African countries Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have finally reached a draft agreement, which is primarily intended as a roadmap to end a decade of conflict that has contributed to what many refer to as Africa’s “world wars.”

The agreement, which emerged through mediation by the United States of America and Qatar, provides for the “disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda continues to deny widespread accusations that it supports one of those groups, the M23, which has seized large parts of the region this year.

The draft also includes provisions for a joint security mechanism to prevent future flare-ups. The peace deal is expected to be formally signed this week. The agreement could pave the way for billions of dollars in Western investment into the mineral-rich but long-troubled region, which has been plagued by conflict for over three decades. However, many political analysts say numerous questions remain regarding the contents and implications of the peace deal.

According to BBC News Africa, the U.S. State Department confirmed that technical teams had initialled the draft text last Wednesday, ahead of a formal signing ceremony scheduled for this Friday, to be witnessed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a statement, the department said the deal was reached after three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests between the two countries’ officials in Washington, D.C. The latest draft builds on a previous accord signed earlier this year, it added.

In April of this year, Rwanda and DR Congo signed an agreement in Washington, pledging to respect each other’s sovereignty and commit to producing a draft peace deal within days. The decades-long conflict escalated again earlier this year when M23 rebels seized large portions of mineral-rich territory in eastern DR Congo.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting the M23, claiming its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups like the FDLR, a rebel faction composed largely of ethnic Hutus linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rwanda, in turn, accuses the Congolese government of backing the FDLR, a claim denied by DR Congo.

The M23 captured Goma in late January, followed by Bukavu, and has since established governing structures in the areas under its control. Thousands have been killed, and hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent months as a result of the rebel offensive.

Now, the continent is left with pressing questions: Will the M23 withdraw from the territories it has occupied? Does this deal imply Rwanda’s admission of supporting the M23 and what will become of the refugees caught in the crossfire?