Washington: US President Donald Trump is set to host the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Washington this Thursday for the signing of a peace agreement, following a previous US-brokered deal that failed to halt ongoing violence.
According to Nam News Network, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Monday that President Trump will oversee the signing of the historic peace and economic agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This deal is seen as a significant diplomatic effort by Trump, who had previously met with the foreign ministers of both nations in June to sign an earlier agreement aimed at ending hostilities.
Despite the earlier efforts, violence has persisted in the region, with both countries blaming each other for the continued unrest. The specifics of how the upcoming presidential-level agreement will differ from the previous deal signed in June remain unclear at this time.
Tensions have recently escalated, with Rwa
ndan President Paul Kagame accusing the Congolese government of stalling the peace process. The region, known for its rich mineral resources critical to modern technologies, has been plagued by conflict for over thirty years, resulting in significant loss of life.
The situation deteriorated further in January when the Rwandan-supported M23 armed group seized control of strategic areas, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu. Rwanda has linked the cessation of its defensive measures to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s efforts to dismantle the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group associated with the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
President Trump has expressed aspirations to secure mineral resources from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, aiming to strengthen the United States’ position in global competition with China.