DR Congo and Rwanda sign peace deal after years of war

DR Congo and Rwanda sign peace deal after years of war NewsFeed
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have signed a US- and Qatar-brokered peace deal, raising hopes of ending renewed conflict – and opening US access to key minerals.
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Qatar emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts after DRC-Rwanda deal

Al Jazeera

14 hours ago

Al Jazeera

Qatar emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts after DRC-Rwanda deal

Qatari diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi has welcomed the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), saying that it came after several rounds of talks, some of which were held in Doha. The deal, signed in Washington, DC, on Friday with backing from the United States and Qatar, will see Rwandan soldiers withdraw from the DRC and the two countries set up mechanisms to enhance trade and security cooperation. 'We hope that the sides will adhere to the terms of the agreement to de-escalate and bolster the security and stability of the … region,' al-Khulaifi, who serves as minister of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Al Jazeera. Al-Khulaifi added that the meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, hosted by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha in March, was followed by a series of talks, paving the way for Friday's deal. 'Qatar enjoys excellent relationships with both countries and has earned the trust of both countries as a mediator and international partner trying to resolve these issues,' he said. 'Doha was a platform for these meetings, and we contributed [to reaching the agreement] with the US.' The Reuters news agency reported earlier this month that Qatar presented a draft peace proposal to Rwanda and the DRC after negotiations in Doha. On Friday, the US Department of State said the US, Qatar, the African Union and Togo 'will continue to engage both parties to ensure implementation of the obligations laid out in the agreement'. The agreement has sparked hopes of ending the conflict in the DRC, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has been advancing in the resource-rich east of the country. The renewed violence had raised fears of igniting a full-blown conflict, akin to the wars that the DRC endured in the late 1990s, involving several African countries, which killed millions of people. 'Qatar fully believes in dialogue as the cornerstone for resolving conflict through peaceful means,' al-Khulaifi said. 'Qatar believes that mediation is a pillar of its foreign policy. That's why, hopefully, you will find Qatar always racing to try to resolve issues between countries, even countries that are geographically far from Qatar.' Qatar has played a key role in securing diplomatic deals in various conflicts across the world over the past years. Most recently, it helped mediate the ceasefire agreement that ended the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. 'What pleases me is that this agreement came days after another agreement which Qatar contributed to with the US – and that's the ceasefire between Iran and Israel,' al-Khulaifi said. 'Qatar will not spare any efforts to engage in more attempts to de-escalate and pursue peaceful means to end these conflicts.'

Trump lambasts Khamenei, says he'd bomb Iran if nuclear activities restart

Al Jazeera

15 hours ago

Al Jazeera

Trump lambasts Khamenei, says he'd bomb Iran if nuclear activities restart

President Donald Trump has hit out at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's claim that Iran won its recent 12-day war with Israel, also saying the United States will 'absolutely' bomb the country again if it pursues nuclear weapons. The US president launched a torrent of abuse at Iran's Supreme Leader on his Truth Social platform on Friday, claiming he had saved Khamenei from 'A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH' and accusing him of 'blatantly and foolishly' lying when he claimed 'victory' in the war the previous day. In his first sortie since the Israel-Iran war ended with a ceasefire earlier this week, Khamenei had also said Iran 'slapped America in the face' by launching missiles at a major US base in Qatar following US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. In Friday's post, Trump said he had demanded Israel pull back from 'the final knockout'. 'His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,' he said. The question of whether US attacks destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities is moot – a leaked intelligence report contradicted Trump's account of events, suggesting the military's strikes had set the country back by mere months. The US president said that Khamenei's comments, which he described as 'a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust', had led him to drop work on 'the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery'. Future of nuclear programme Trump's rant against Khamenei came on the back of bellicose comments earlier that day at a White House news conference. Asked whether he would consider new air strikes if the recent attacks had not succeeded in ending Iran's nuclear weapons programme, Trump said, 'Sure, without question, absolutely.' He said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites. But Iran has approved a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, a move widely seen as a direct response to the strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites. '[IAEA Director General] Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent,' Araghchi said on X. 'Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty.' Grossi said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority, as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz indicated on Friday that his country might still be on a war footing with Iran, saying he had instructed the military to prepare an enforcement plan against the country. The plan 'includes maintaining Israel's air superiority, preventing nuclear advancement and missile production, and responses to Iran for supporting terrorist activities against Israel', Katz said. Katz said on Thursday that Israel had wanted to 'eliminate' Khamenei and would not have required US permission to do so.

Al Jazeera

16 hours ago

Al Jazeera