Trump hosts signing of peace deal between leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda

The leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement aimed at ending the region’s long-standing conflict during a summit hosted by US President Donald Trump in Washington.

Ahead of the summit, there was an escalation in fighting in the resource-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between government forces and rebels believed to be backed by Rwanda.

The DRC army accused its rivals of trying to “sabotage” the peace process, but M23 rebels said the army launched an attack in violation of the ceasefire.

At the beginning of the year, the M23 movement seized large parts of eastern DRC in an offensive that killed thousands and forced many from their homes.

At the start of the event at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Peace Institute, Trump said the peace ceremony was a “great day” for Africa and the world.

Trump added: “I have great confidence in both leaders.” He added, “We will maintain these commitments. I know that they will maintain them, follow through on the agreement, and create a brighter future for the people of their countries.”

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame have repeatedly exchanged insults in recent years, accusing each other of starting the conflict.

Trump pushed the two countries’ foreign ministers to sign a peace agreement in June, describing it as a “glorious victory.”

It has now been endorsed by Tshisekedi and Kagame, as well as a number of other African leaders who attended the signing ceremony, including the leaders of Kenya, Angola, Burundi and Togo, as well as the vice president of Uganda.

At the event, Kagame praised Trump as a “fair” leader who “never takes sides.” Kagame described Trump’s approach as pragmatic and said that “as a result, we have the clearest and most workable path forward ever.”

Tshisekedi expressed his “deep gratitude and clear hope”, while at the same time expressing his hope that “Rwanda will respect the letter and spirit of the agreement.”

The foreign ministers of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also attended.

The M23 movement was not present, as it is holding talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a parallel peace process led by Qatar.

The Trump administration has led talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, hoping that resolving differences between the two neighbors will pave the way for the United States to increase investments in the resource-rich region.

At the signing ceremony, Trump said the United States would send “some of our biggest and greatest companies to both countries.”

“And we’ll take out the rare earth, we’ll take some assets, and we’ll pay,” he said. “Everyone will make a lot of money.”

Rwanda denies supporting the M23 movement, however UN experts say its army “effectively controls M23 operations”.

Some analysts doubt whether the agreement will lead to lasting peace.

Bram Verelst, a researcher from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, told the BBC: “There is currently no ceasefire, and the M23 insurgency continues to expand and consolidate its control.”

“The signing ceremony is unlikely to change this situation, although there is some slim hope that it will increase the accountability of Congolese and Rwandan leaders to fulfill their commitments,” he said.

The M23 movement seized key cities in eastern DRC earlier this year, including Goma and Bukavu.

Renewed fighting was reported on Thursday, while DRC army spokesman General Sylvain Ekeng said on Tuesday that rebels had launched a new attack on villages in South Kivu province.

The villages are located about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the city of Uvira, which borders Burundi and has been the headquarters of the South Kivu regional government since rebels took over Bukavu.

For its part, the March 23 Movement said that the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched an air and ground attack on its positions, and this was done in cooperation with Burundian forces.

Burundi did not comment on this allegation. It has several thousand troops in eastern DRC to support the beleaguered army.

Rwanda says it has taken “defensive measures” in eastern DRC because of the threat posed by the FDLR militia, which includes fighters who carried out the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Kagame insists on the need to disarm the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo demands the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from its territory.

Both conditions are included in the peace agreement that will be signed in Washington.

However, several deals dating back to the 1990s fell through after Rwanda accused the former Congolese government of failing to disarm the FDLR, and this remains one of the major obstacles in current efforts to end the conflict.

The DRC government has also called on the M23 to give up territory it has seized, something it has refused to do so far in Qatar-brokered talks.

Qatar and the United States are coordinating their mediation efforts. Qatar has strong ties with Rwanda, while the United States is seen as closer to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The US State Department said in 2023 that the DRC had mineral reserves estimated at $25 trillion (£21.2 trillion).

This includes cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum – key ingredients needed to make electronic components used in computers, electric vehicles, cell phones, wind turbines and military devices.

Trump, the head of the agreement signed in June, said the United States would get “a lot of mining rights from Congo as part of it.”

Professor Jason Stearns, a Canada-based political scientist who specializes in the region, told the BBC that the US was pushing for an economic agreement that could see the DRC and Rwanda cooperate on hydropower, mining and infrastructure development.

He added: “The logic is that this will provide peace dividends.”

Professor Stearns added that the DRC has made clear that although it will sign the agreement, it “will not move forward with this agreement until Rwandan forces withdraw from eastern DRC.”