Washington touts 15-day Congo truce

FILE - A woman and child among those displaced by fighting are pictured at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, July 11, 2024. People displaced by fighting gather at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, July 11, 2024.

U.S. diplomats are working closely with African partners, the White House said Thursday, amid a fresh 15-day truce between the army and Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Experts on the ground say they're holding their breath, citing the dire humanitarian consequences of spiraling violence in this fragile region.