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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump basks in another peace deal, this one in eastern Africa
"First time in many years, they're going to have peace. It's a big deal," Trump said at a June 27 news conference. Rubio will host a signing ceremony between Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe at the Department of State immediately beforehand on June 27. The seizure of large parts of eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group has killed more than 7,000 people this year alone and displaced more than 450,000 others. The area is home to the DRC's valuable mineral deposits. The U.N. Security Council called on Rwanda to end its support for the rebels in a February resolution that urged the two countries to reengage in diplomatic talks. Rwanda denies backing the rebels. The Biden administration sought to resolve the conflict but was unable to secure a deal before the one-term president left office. Trump's administration hopes the resolution will bring about an end to a broader conflict that has resulted in the displacement of more than 7 million people. Conflict in eastern Congo over in the three decades since the Rwandan genocide has led to an estimated 6 million deaths. More than 18,000 Congolese refugees resettled in the U.S., in 2023, according to the Department of Homeland Security. It was the leading country of nationality for refugees accepted by the United States that year and over the preceding decade. State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Piggott said at a June 26 briefing the signing is a "significant milestone" but "peace on paper must be matched by implementation on the ground." The State Department spokesman said the agreement includes respect for territorial integrity, a prohibition of hostilities, disarmament, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and a regional economic framework. Congolese refugees in America: They fled genocide, hoping to find safety in America. They found apathy. The deal is central to the administration's approach to conflict reduction around the globe. By enabling and facilitating economic investment in war-torn countries such the DRC and Ukraine, the Trump administration hopes it can unlock lasting peace agreements. "A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity," Rubio said on April 25 as he announced the framework agreement. "It's, as they call it, a win-win for everyone involved." Businessman Massad Boulos, the administration's senior advisor for Africa and father-in-law of the president's younger daughter, Tiffany Trump, is working to secure a critical minerals deal with the DRC that could billions in U.S. investment to the country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has substantial reserves of gold, cobalt, and high-grade copper that have been inaccessible due to the security risks and underdeveloped infrastructure, the International Trade Administration says. Cobalt is used to make the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric vehicles, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The South African
an hour ago
- Business
- The South African
Can peace hold? Rwanda and DRC deal to end regional conflict
A peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was signed in Washington on 27 June 2025. With diplomatic support from allies in the region, the United States and Qatar helped to broker the deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the event at the State Department in Washington, DC. Furthermore, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group did not sign the accord but remains central to the continued peaceful dialogue in Doha. In addition, within 90 days, both countries agreed to implement a disengagement plan for 2024. The agreement includes a framework for regional economic integration as well as a framework for cooperative security. According to the agreement, Rwanda has ninety days to withdraw its troops from the east of the DRC. As a result, DRC will mandate an operational strategy for the neutralisation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), provided Rwanda removes its defensive measures. The deal makes it easier for the Congolese government and M23 representatives to negotiate in Qatar. Within 30 days, a cooperative security oversight body will proceed to guarantee compliance. Enhancing regional trade in vital minerals like cobalt and lithium is another goal of the agreement. The United States will have access to mineral rights in the DRC, according to President Donald Trump. Rwanda's foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, described the deal as 'a turning point' for the area. The DRC's foreign minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, stressed the importance of justice and sovereignty. The agreement could allow for billions of dollars in Western investment in the region, according to U.S. officials. Over seven million people are displaced in the east of the DRC, and the agreement included a commitment to protect and advance humanitarian access for those affected. Within a few weeks, heads of state will be concluding a comprehensive economic protocol in Washington. Before the endorsement of the economic framework commences, progress in the Doha negotiations is considered a crucial priority. The peace deal includes procedures for verifying the disarmament of militias and the withdrawal of the army from the region. Trump's Africa advisor, Massad Boulos, affirmed the United States' involvement in facilitating the minerals deal. Regional analysts and experts, including Michelle Gavin of the Council on Foreign Relations, expressed concern that the deal does not adequately address M23's territorial gains. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Rwanda and Congo sign peace deal in US to end fighting and attract investment, World News
WASHINGTON/PARIS/KINSHASA - Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Friday (June 27), raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year. The agreement marks a breakthrough in talks held by US President Donald Trump's administration and aims to attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals. At a ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, the two African countries' foreign ministers signed the agreement pledging to implement a 2024 deal that would see Rwandan troops withdraw from eastern Congo within 90 days, according to a copy seen by Reuters. Kinshasa and Kigali will also launch a regional economic integration framework within 90 days, the agreement said. "They were going at it for many years, and with machetes - it is one of the worst, one of the worst wars that anyone has ever seen. And I just happened to have somebody that was able to get it settled," Trump said on Friday, ahead of the signing of the deal in Washington. "We're getting, for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo as part of it. They're so honoured to be here. They never thought they'd be coming." Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe called the agreement a turning point. Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said it must be followed by disengagement. Trump later met both officials in the Oval Office, where he presented them with letters inviting Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to Washington to sign a package of agreements that Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, dubbed the "Washington Accord". Nduhungirehe told Trump that past deals had not been implemented and urged Trump to stay engaged. Trump warned of "very severe penalties, financial and otherwise", if the agreement is violated. Rwanda has sent at least 7,000 soldiers over the border, according to analysts and diplomats, in support of the M23 rebels, who seized eastern Congo's two largest cities and lucrative mining areas in a lightning advance earlier this year. The gains by M23, the latest cycle in a decades-old conflict with roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, sparked fears that a wider war could draw in Congo's neighbours. Economic deals Boulos told Reuters in May that Washington wanted the peace agreement and accompanying minerals deals to be signed simultaneously this summer. Rubio said on Friday that heads of state would be "here in Washington in a few weeks to finalize the complete protocol and agreement." However, the agreement signed on Friday gives Congo and Rwanda three months to launch a framework "to expand foreign trade and investment derived from regional critical mineral supply chains". A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday that another agreement on the framework would be signed by the heads of state at a separate White House event at an unspecified time. There is an understanding that progress in ongoing talks in Doha - a separate but parallel mediation effort with delegations from the Congolese government and M23 - is essential before the signing of the economic framework, the source said. [[nid:718669]] The agreement signed on Friday voiced "full support" for the Qatar-hosted talks. It also says Congo and Rwanda will form a joint security coordination mechanism within 30 days and implement a plan agreed last year to monitor and verify the withdrawal of Rwandan soldiers within three months. Congolese military operations targeting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based armed group that includes remnants of Rwanda's former army and militias that carried out the 1994 genocide, are meant to conclude over the same timeframe. Reuters reported on Thursday that Congolese negotiators had dropped an earlier demand that Rwandan troops immediately leave eastern Congo, paving the way for the signing ceremony on Friday. Congo, the United Nations and Western powers say Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces are acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, including the FDLR. "This is the best chance we have at a peace process for the moment despite all the challenges and flaws," said Jason Stearns, a political scientist at Simon Fraser University in Canada who specialises in Africa's Great Lakes region. Similar formulas have been attempted before, Stearns added, and "it will be up to the US, as they are the godfather of this deal, to make sure both sides abide by the terms." The agreement signed on Friday says Rwanda and Congo will de-risk mineral supply chains and establish value chains "that link both countries, in partnership, as appropriate, with the US and US investors." The terms carry "a strategic message: securing the east also means securing investments," said Tresor Kibangula, a political analyst at Congo's Ebuteli research institute. "It remains to be seen whether this economic logic will suffice" to end the fighting, he added.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congo, Rwanda sign a U.S.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday (June 27, 2025) signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. "Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity, harmony, prosperity and peace," President Donald Trump told the Foreign Ministers of the two countries at a White House meeting. The agreement was signed earlier at the State Department's Treaty Room beneath a portrait of Colin Powell, the first African American to hold the job of top U.S. diplomat. There, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it "an important moment after 30 years of war." The Central African nation of Congo has been racked by conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, that have killed millions since the 1990s. While the deal is seen as a turning point, analysts don't believe it will quickly end the fighting because the most prominent armed group says it does not apply to it. Many Congolese see it mainly as an opportunity for the U.S. to acquire critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology after their government reached out to Mr. Trump for support in fighting the rebels. Mr. Trump has pushed to gain access to such minerals at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Congo and Rwanda send top diplomats to sign Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner invoked the millions of victims of the conflict in signing the agreement with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Both expressed optimism but stressed significant work still to do to end the fighting. "Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear," Ms. Wagner said. "Those who have suffered the most are watching. They are expecting this agreement to be respected, and we cannot fail them." Mr. Nduhungirehe noted the "great deal of uncertainty' because previous agreements were not put in place. "There is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy," he said. "But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached." They, along with Mr. Rubio, lauded the support of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in facilitating the agreement, which Doha has been working on for months at the request of the U.S. and others. The agreement has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Asked in the Oval Office about violations of the agreement, Mr. Trump said he didn't think that would happen but also warned of "very severe penalties, financial and otherwise," if it did. The peace deal is not likely to end the conflict quickly The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it "one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth." Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding for them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of Congo River Alliance — known by its French acronym AFC — which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that "anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us." An M23 spokesperson, Oscar Balinda, echoed that to the AP this week. Nduhungirehe pointed to separate talks happening in Qatar that are meant to get both Congo and the M23 rebels to agree among themselves how they will end the fighting. He also said Rwanda agreed to lift its "defensive measures." It was not clear if he meant withdrawing the troops that Rwanda has said are defending its territorial interests. Rwanda also has been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. Rwanda has denied any involvement, while analysts say that might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in the region. The deal is at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. For many years, Chinese companies have been a key player in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
4 hours ago
- Politics
Trump helped these African countries sign a peace deal. Here's what we know
DAKAR, Senegal -- A deal signed in Washington on Friday has been touted as a major step toward peace in Congo following decades of conflict that has killed millions, including thousands this year. The U.S.-mediated agreement is between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been battered by fighting with more than 100 armed groups. The most potent is backed by neighboring Rwanda, and it is not clear if it will abide by the deal as the group wasn't part of the negotiations. President Donald Trump says the deal gives the United States 'a lot of the mineral rights' from Congo. His administration has pushed to gain access to minerals key to much of the world's technology and is seeking to counter China, a key player in the region where the U.S. presence and influence have eroded. Both the Congolese and Rwandan presidents are expected in Washington in a few weeks to 'finalize the complete protocol and agreement,' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Here's a look at what we know about the agreement: The agreement details general expectations but is short on how it will be implemented, particularly in getting the key actors of the conflict — the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels — to lay down their arms, according to a copy seen by The Associated Press. The deal emphasizes the two neighboring countries' sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful coexistence, with a commitment to halt all hostilities and any support for armed groups. Although it denies supporting the M23 rebels, Rwanda has said it is protecting its border and going after the ethnic Hutus, whom it accuses of participating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and now working with Congolese forces after fleeing to the neighboring country. Armed gangs involved in the conflict may be reintegrated into Congolese security forces only after individual vetting based on loyalty, fitness and human rights records, the deal says. In what the U.N. has called 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth,' the deal includes a commitment to protect and facilitate humanitarian access for displaced people in Congo, estimated to be more than 7 million. The two countries also commit to creating an economic framework 'to expand foreign trade and investment derived from regional critical mineral supply chains,' including ones that 'link both countries, in partnership, as appropriate, with the U.S. government and U.S. investors.' Analysts say it is going to be difficult for the M23 rebels to withdraw from the cities they seized during their major advance this year and that such withdrawal may either take a long time or another round of fighting. Rwanda is estimated to have thousands of troops supporting the M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Even if Rwanda ends its support for the rebels, the M23 has been consolidating its grip in the cities it has seized, setting up local administrative offices and enforcing a new governing structure. A team of U.N. experts said in a report in December that Rwanda was benefitting from minerals 'fraudulently' exported from areas in the region under the control of the M23. Rwanda has denied involvement. The rebels were not directly involved in the U.S.-facilitated negotiations and have not spoken publicly about the deal. And Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23, told the AP in March that 'anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us.' Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe pointed to separate talks happening in Qatar that are meant to get both Congo and the M23 rebels to agree among themselves how they will end the fighting. He also said Rwanda agreed to lift its "defensive measures.' It was not clear if he meant withdrawing the troops that Rwanda has said are defending its territorial interests. Of five people that the AP spoke to in the conflict-battered region, none of them was convinced the deal would quickly end the fighting. They called for caution in granting the U.S. access to the region's minerals — resources that even late Pope Francis had reprimanded developed countries for exploiting to the detriment of the Congolese. 'We draw the attention of the Congolese government not to give in completely or to sell the Congo to the Americans just because the United States has supported us in restoring peace,' said Hangi Muhindo, a resident of Goma, the city at the center of the conflict. 'The commitments to the United States must not jeopardize the future of our people,' he added. Some also felt the agreement is only a part of the solution and called for more dialogue and justice. 'We want peace now, but we don't want the therapy to be worse than the disease," said Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the local opposition political coalition.
