Steven Nabieu Rogers, PhD, Executive Director at the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) made the following remarks:“We commend the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for signing the Declaration of Principles for Peace in Washington D.C. on June 27, 2025. This agreement marks a crucial step towards peace, stability, and integrated economic development in the eastern DRC region. We welcome this peace agreement as a vital step towards protecting civilian lives caught up in the conflict in eastern DRC and promoting stability in the region. “This peace agreement may quiet the guns, but it silences the victims. “To support this peace agreement, the U.S. Congress must fully enforce Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act to disrupt the war economy fueling Congo’s violence.