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Key Points
- Rwanda and the DRC signed a Trump-proposed peace deal aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern Congo.
- Fresh violence occurred even as the agreement was signed, raising doubts about its effectiveness.
- Trump says the agreement will pave the way for the US to gain access to critical minerals in both countries.
US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace deal, even as fresh violence raised questions about the accord to end one of Africa’s longest wars.
Trump said the United States was also signing deals on critical minerals with the two countries as he hosted Paul Kagame, the longtime president of Rwanda, and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Washington on Friday AEDT.
“I think it’s going to be a great miracle,” Trump said after the signing — held in a peace institute which his administration has just renamed after him.
Speaking of the two leaders, he added: “They spent a lot of time killing each other, and now they are going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands and taking advantage of the United States of America economically, like every other country does.”
Amidst ongoing conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the M23 rebel group has been making advances against government forces, African leaders are approaching the situation with caution. The United Nations has suggested that Rwanda supports the M23 group.
