Trump Commends Kigali And Kinshasa Leaders As They Ink Historic And Remarkable Peace Accord
President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for “bringing to a close a conflict that has stretched across generations.”
The broadcast ceremony—marking the signing of a pact aimed at halting the unrest in eastern Congo—gave Trump yet another moment to showcase himself as a master negotiator on the world stage.
“These are two leaders delivering remarkable work,” Trump declared. “They’re eager to usher their people into a new chapter of progress, and they are exceptional figures.”
The event in Washington unfolded even as fresh reports surfaced of ongoing battles between the Congolese military and the Rwanda-backed M23 insurgents in South Kivu.
Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi struck an optimistic tone as they endorsed the accord.
“No one compelled President Trump to intervene. Our region rarely captures global attention,” Kagame noted. “Yet when he recognised the chance to help forge peace, he embraced it without hesitation.”
“I genuinely believe today marks the start of a new journey—challenging, yes, and undeniably complex,” Tshisekedi added. “But it is a road where peace evolves from a distant hope into a defining moment.”
Still, experts caution that Thursday’s agreement is unlikely to deliver swift calm or alleviate the dire humanitarian conditions on the ground. The M23 rebels were absent from the Washington discussions and are not obligated to uphold the terms of the Rwanda–Congo arrangement. They remain engaged in separate, Qatar-facilitated negotiations with Kinshasa.
The White House has celebrated the latest accord—finalised after months of diplomatic groundwork by the U.S., the African Union, and Qatar—as a “landmark” achievement negotiated under Trump’s leadership. It also formalises components of an earlier deal endorsed in June, while strengthening an existing Regional Economic Integration Framework meant to shape future economic cooperation among the three nations.
Trump further announced that Washington had concluded bilateral pacts with Rwanda and Congo designed to expand U.S. access to strategic minerals—agreements he said would generate mutual economic gains for all parties involved.
Source: Araba Sey
