The agreement was scheduled to be signed on October 5, 2025, but Kinshasa withdrew at the last minute, as many in Congo were reportedly opposed to it.

Through his X account, Nduhungirehe explained that delegates from both countries had already reached a consensus on all points contained in the agreement and were ready to sign it. However, at the very last minute, Tshisekedi instructed the DRC delegation not to proceed with the signing.

Nduhungirehe wrote: “The truth is that the delegations of Rwanda and the DRC worked hard this week and, under U.S. facilitation, reached a common understanding on the REIF."

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He added: "They were ready to sign the agreement the following morning, but at the last minute, Tshisekedi ordered his delegation not to sign, fearing that his citizens would perceive it negatively.”

The British news agency 'Reuters'  had reported that the DRC refused to sign unless Rwanda first withdrew 90% of its troops from Congolese territory.

However, Rwanda’s top diplomat dismissed that claim, calling it “a baseless excuse fed to the media that was never raised by the DRC delegation during the talks.”

Minister Nduhungirehe emphasized that the REIF discussions were purely economic and had no connection to security issues, which are being handled separately by the Joint Commission on Security Mechanism (JCSM). That body is responsible for tracking and dismantling the FDLR rebel group.