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US President Donald Trump is set to host the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday for the signing of a fresh peace agreement, even as fighting continues in eastern Congo.
The White House says Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi will finalise a deal during a meeting with Trump in Washington, which the US leader is expected to present as a major diplomatic success. The signing will take place at the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace — a recently renamed building that the former US Institute of Peace once occupied before it was shut down as part of the administration’s cost-cutting measures.
The agreement follows an earlier deal announced more than five months ago when the two countries’ foreign ministers also met with Trump to discuss efforts to bring the conflict to an end. However, on the eve of the new signing, clashes were again reported in eastern DR Congo, where the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has been advancing against government forces.
Residents and local officials in areas under M23 control described heavy bombardment and civilian casualties. The armed group has expanded its influence since January, when it seized the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu, escalating a conflict that has simmered for years.
Although M23 denies receiving support from Rwanda, Kigali has been widely accused of backing the group. After a ceasefire was announced in June following talks mediated by Qatar, both the rebels and the Congolese government accused one another of breaching the truce.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that his administration has brought an end to a string of long-running conflicts since his return to office earlier this year. He has also made no secret of his interest in the vast mineral wealth in DR Congo, which includes the world’s largest reserves of cobalt — a key component in electric vehicle batteries — as well as major deposits of copper and other strategic resources.
Congolese officials said the new agreement would not only cover peace efforts but also include a regional economic plan and a long-term partnership on natural resources. Presidential spokeswoman Tina Salama insisted the deal was not about handing over Congo’s minerals to Washington, saying peace must come before economic cooperation.
Rwanda has stated it will only withdraw what it describes as its “defensive measures” once Kinshasa dismantles the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.
President Kagame, who is also due to hold a separate meeting with Trump, recently accused DR Congo of dragging its feet in finalising the deal, while Congolese officials have accused Rwanda of negotiating in bad faith, pointing to continued violence as evidence.
Both Rwanda and DR Congo are also reported to be in discussions with Washington over Trump’s controversial migrant relocation plans, as his administration carries out large-scale deportations. Rwanda was previously due to resettle migrants sent from the UK, though that deal was cancelled after the election of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
