US President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed the signing of a new peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, praising both leaders for what he called their “courage” in seeking an end to the long running conflict in eastern DRC while opening access to the region’s critical minerals.
The deal was signed in Washington by Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, alongside officials from other African nations. Trump said it marked a diplomatic breakthrough. “It’s a great day for Africa, a great day for the world,” he said. “Today, we’re succeeding where so many others have failed.”
The White House described the pact as “historic,” saying it followed months of mediation involving the US, the African Union and Qatar, as well as an earlier framework agreed in June.
Despite the celebrations, violence persists across the east. The region has faced almost three decades of armed conflict, with more than one hundred groups operating there. The most powerful remains the Rwanda backed M23 rebel movement, which this year seized Goma and Bukavu, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
“We are still at war,” said Amani Chibalonza Edith, a resident of Goma. “There can be no peace as long as the front lines remain active.”
Kagame said US involvement was decisive. “No one was asking President Trump to take up this task… but when he saw the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately took it,” he said.
Tshisekedi said the deal offers a difficult but hopeful path forward. “This day is the beginning of a new path, a demanding path, indeed quite difficult. But this is a path where peace will not just be a wish, an aspiration, but a turning point,” he said.
Analysts warn the agreement is unlikely to stop the fighting immediately. A separate pact between Congo and M23 has yet to be implemented.
Central to the new deal is access to strategic minerals essential to the global economy. Trump said the US had signed bilateral accords with both Congo and Rwanda to ensure American companies could operate in the region.
“We’ll be sending some of our biggest and greatest US companies over to the two countries,” he said. “Everybody’s going to make a lot of money.”
Eastern Congo holds some of the world’s largest deposits of cobalt, coltan and other rare earths required for smartphones, electric vehicles, aircraft and advanced military technology. Washington is seeking to reduce reliance on China, which dominates global processing.
As leaders met in Washington, fresh clashes were reported across the east. Both Congo’s military and M23 accused each other of violating a ceasefire. Violence has also intensified in South Kivu’s central plateau.
Residents say conditions are deteriorating. “We are waiting to see what will happen,” said Moise Bauma, a university student in Bukavu. “So far, both sides continue to clash and attack each other.”
Congolese officials say continued US pressure will be crucial. “We need that attention from the administration to continue,” said government spokesperson Gisèle Makolo. “We are under no illusion that this is going to be easy. This is not the end, but it’s a good step.”
The conflict has roots in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, when nearly two million Hutu refugees fled into Congo. Kigali accuses some Hutu militias of taking part in the atrocities and alleges elements of the Congolese army protect them. Congo insists lasting peace is impossible without Rwanda ending its alleged support for M23. Kigali denies backing the rebels, claiming its actions are defensive.
UN investigators estimate that between three thousand and four thousand Rwandan troops are operating in eastern Congo alongside M23, despite international calls for deescalation.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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