Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday accused Congolese authorities of delaying the signing by the heads of state of the two countries of a peace agreement endorsed by their foreign ministers at the end of June in Washington, which aims to stop the bloody conflict in eastern DRC.

This resource-rich border region has been the scene of armed conflict for three decades. The violence has intensified since January with the capture of the major cities of Goma and Bukavu by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.

The two countries had concluded a peace agreement at the end of June in Washington, and the Congolese authorities and the M23 had signed a declaration of principles in July in Doha in favor of a "permanent ceasefire".

But these two initiatives failed to silence the guns. The Congolese army and the M23 are thus accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.

"What is delaying (the signing by the two presidents, editor's note), I assure you, has nothing to do with Rwanda," Paul Kagame stated during a lengthy press conference.

The day after the Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed the peace agreement in June, the DRC "set conditions different from what had been agreed upon in Washington," the Rwandan president asserted, a recurring phenomenon according to him. "That's what's delaying things."

The signing in Washington by Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi could take place in early December, perhaps on the 4th, although nothing is confirmed at this stage, the Congolese presidency told AFP.

"I'm not sure we'll meet in Washington" in early December, Paul Kagame said. "We have to wait and keep hoping," he continued.

In early November, the two countries, acknowledging the lack of progress, "pledged to redouble their efforts to implement the Washington peace agreement," according to a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department.

The parties had notably promised to "refrain from any hostile action or rhetoric." A few days earlier, President Tshisekedi had denounced Kigali's "belligerent and hegemonic intentions" on his territory.

In mid-November, Kinshasa and the M23 signed a roadmap in Qatar prior to a peace agreement in eastern DRC.