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New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Rwanda, DR Congo sign peace deal in US after rebel sweep
WASHINGTON: Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement Friday in Washington to end fighting that has killed thousands, with the two countries pledging to pull back support for guerrillas – and President Donald Trump boasting of securing mineral wealth. "Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity," Trump said as he welcomed the foreign ministers to the White House. "This is a wonderful day." The agreement comes after the M23, an ethnic Tutsi rebel force linked to Rwanda, sprinted across the mineral-rich east of the DRC earlier this year, seizing vast territory including the key city of Goma. The deal – negotiated through Qatar since before Trump took office – does not explicitly address the gains of the M23 in the area torn by decades of on-off war but calls for Rwanda to end "defensive measures" it has taken. Rwanda has denied directly supporting the M23 but has demanded an end to another armed group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which was established by ethnic Hutus linked to the massacres of Tutsis in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The agreement calls for the "neutralization" of the FDLR, with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe saying the "irreversible and verifiable end to state support" to the Hutu militants should be the "first order of business." The process would be "accompanied by a lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures," Nduhungirehe said at a signing ceremony at the State Department. But he added: "We must acknowledge that there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region, and beyond, because many previous agreements have not been implemented." His Congolese counterpart, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, highlighted the agreement's call for respecting state sovereignty. "It offers a rare chance to turn the page, not just with words but with real change on the ground. Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear," she said. The agreement also sets up a joint security coordination body to monitor progress and calls vaguely for a "regional economic integration framework" within three months. Trump has trumpeted the diplomacy that led to the deal, and started his White House event by bringing up a journalist who said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking to reporters earlier Friday, Trump said the United States will be able to secure "a lot of mineral rights from the Congo." The DRC has enormous mineral reserves that include lithium and cobalt, vital in electric vehicles and other advanced technologies, with US rival China now a key player in securing the resources. Trump, in an uncharacteristic expression of modesty, said he had been unfamiliar with the conflict as he appeared to allude to the horrors of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Tutsis, were killed in just 100 days. "I'm a little out of my league on that one because I didn't know too much about it. I knew one thing – they were going at it for many years with machetes," Trump said. The agreement drew wide but not universal praise. Bintu Keita, a senior UN official in the DRC, said it "marks a decisive step toward peace and stability," while Germany hailed the "excellent news" and called for implementation. French President Emmanual Macron also praised the "historic step forward," adding that "peace must hold." But Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who shared the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end the DRC's epidemic of sexual violence in war, voiced alarm about the agreement, saying it effectively benefited Rwanda and the United States. The deal "would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace," he said in a statement ahead of the signing. Physicians for Human Rights, which has worked in the DRC, welcomed the de-escalation but said the agreement had "major omissions," including accountability for rights violations. — AFP
Roya News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Rwanda, DR Congo sign peace deal in US after rebel sweep
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement Friday in Washington to end fighting that has killed thousands, with the two countries pledging to pull back support for guerrillas -- and President Donald Trump boasting of securing mineral wealth. "Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity," Trump said as he welcomed the foreign ministers to the White House. "This is a wonderful day." The agreement comes after the M23, an ethnic Tutsi rebel force linked to Rwanda, sprinted across the mineral-rich east of the DRC earlier this year, seizing vast territory including the key city of Goma. The deal -- negotiated through Qatar since before Trump took office -- does not explicitly address the gains of the M23 in the area torn by decades of on-off war but calls for Rwanda to end "defensive measures" it has taken. Rwanda has denied directly supporting the M23 but has demanded an end to another armed group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which was established by ethnic Hutus linked to the massacres of Tutsis in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The agreement calls for the "neutralization" of the FDLR, with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe saying the "irreversible and verifiable end to state support" to the Hutu militants should be the "first order of business." The process would be "accompanied by a lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures," Nduhungirehe said at a signing ceremony at the State Department. But he added: "We must acknowledge that there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region, and beyond, because many previous agreements have not been implemented." His Congolese counterpart, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, highlighted the agreement's call for respecting state sovereignty. "It offers a rare chance to turn the page, not just with words but with real change on the ground. Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear," she said. The agreement also sets up a joint security coordination body to monitor progress and calls vaguely for a "regional economic integration framework" within three months. Trump takes credit Trump has trumpeted the diplomacy that led to the deal, and started his White House event by bringing up a journalist who said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking to reporters earlier Friday, Trump said the United States will be able to secure "a lot of mineral rights from the Congo." The DRC has enormous mineral reserves that include lithium and cobalt, vital in electric vehicles and other advanced technologies, with US rival China now a key player in securing the resources. Trump, in an uncharacteristic expression of modesty, said he had been unfamiliar with the conflict as he appeared to allude to the horrors of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Tutsis, were killed in just 100 days. "I'm a little out of my league on that one because I didn't know too much about it. I knew one thing -- they were going at it for many years with machetes," Trump said. The agreement drew wide but not universal praise. Bintu Keita, a senior UN official in the DRC, said it "marks a decisive step toward peace and stability," while Germany hailed the "excellent news" and called for implementation. French President Emmanual Macron also praised the "historic step forward," adding that "peace must hold." But Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who shared the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end the DRC's epidemic of sexual violence in war, voiced alarm about the agreement, saying it effectively benefited Rwanda and the United States. The deal "would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace," he said in a statement ahead of the signing.
Mint
9 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Congo, Rwanda Sign US-Backed Peace Deal to End Years of War
(Bloomberg) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda agreed to a US-backed peace deal meant to end years of deadly conflict and promote development in Congo's volatile eastern region. Foreign ministers from the two countries signed the accord Friday in the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office later in the day. '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,' Trump told reporters with Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, at his side. The peace deal commits the two countries to cease hostilities and halt support for armed groups. It also envisions allowing refugees and displaced people to return home as well as increased economic integration between the countries, with the potential for US investment. 'My administration will continue to work with all of the parties in this deal and ensure the agreements are fully taken care of and you're gonna do what's in the agreement,' Trump said. 'Because if somebody fails to do that, bad things happen,' he added, and later mentioned the possibility of 'very severe penalties, financial and otherwise.' The accord may bring an end to the occupation of a large swath of mineral-rich eastern Congo by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The M23 says it's protecting the rights of ethnic Tutsis and other speakers of the Rwandan language in Congo. Officials there say the M23 and its Rwandan supporters are mainly interested in the region's minerals, including gold, tin and tantalum, which is used in most portable electronics. Trump said Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congo's president, Felix Tshisekedi, have been invited to Washington in July. Separate peace talks between Congo and the M23 are continuing, overseen by the government of Qatar. 'We will lend our full support in the weeks ahead to Qatar's efforts' for the two parties to come to an agreement, Rwanda's Nduhungirehe said. 'The first order of business' will be for Congo to 'neutralize' a Hutu rebel group in eastern Congo, known as the FDLR, with links to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, 'accompanied by the lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures,' Nduhungirehe said. More than 800,000 people were killed in the genocide that targeted the country's Tutsi minority in the span of about 100 days. Why Congo, Rwanda Agreed to End Three Decades of War: QuickTake Around six million people are currently displaced by conflict in eastern Congo, making it one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. 'This moment has been long in coming,' Kayikwamba said. 'It will not erase the pain, but it can begin to restore what conflict has robbed many women men and children of: safety, dignity and a sense of future.' The two countries are also working on an economic pact as part of the agreement that could be signed next month, according to Trump's senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos. There are also ongoing bilateral investment talks with both countries to invest in their mineral supply chains, he said. 'Many American companies have shown interest,' Boulos said, adding that the US was already negotiating a critical minerals deal with Congo. Sign up here for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen. (Updates with Trump's comments throughout.) More stories like this are available on
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘New chapter of hope': Marco Rubio hails Rwanda-DRC peace deal; credits Trump for claimed truce of India-Pakistan
US secretary of state Marco Rubio (AP) US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Friday hailed President Donald Trump 's diplomatic approach to global conflicts, crediting his leadership for breakthroughs in some of the world's most complex conflicts. 'Whether it's been in Ukraine and Russia, whether it's been Pakistan-India, whether it's been Iran and Israel, and in the continent of Africa, President Trump's priority has been on peace and today we see this come to fruition,' Rubio said at the White House. Rubio's praise is part of a larger pattern of the current administration's efforts to end global conflicts, including a claimed truce between India and Pakistan and reduced tensions in the Middle East, all under what Rubio describes as Trump's 'peace-first' approach. His remarks came during a media briefing with Trump and Vice President JD Vance following the signing of a landmark peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of Africa's deadliest and most complex conflicts in recent decades. The deal, signed in Washington on Friday, commits both nations to end support for armed rebel groups, notably the M23 and FDLR militias, and sets a timeline for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo. It also establishes a joint security coordination body and lays the groundwork for regional economic cooperation. Trump, who welcomed the foreign ministers of Rwanda and DRC to the White House, called it 'a wonderful day,' adding, 'Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity.' The conflict had escalated earlier this year after M23 rebels, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, captured swathes of territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo. While Rwanda has denied direct involvement, the deal now calls for the "neutralization" of the FDLR, a Hutu rebel group with links to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rwandan foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said ending support for Hutu militants should be the 'first order of business,' while his Congolese counterpart Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said the deal offers 'a rare chance to turn the page.' Trump also emphasized the strategic benefits to the US, noting it would gain 'a lot of mineral rights from the Congo,' a region rich in cobalt and lithium. The agreement drew wide but not universal praise. Bintu Keita, a senior UN official in the DRC, said it "marks a decisive step toward peace and stability," while Germany hailed the "excellent news" and called for implementation. UN envoy Bintou Keita called the deal 'a decisive step toward peace,' though Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege warned it risked rewarding 'aggression' and legitimizing 'plunder' of Congolese resources.
France 24
15 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Rwanda and DR Congo sign US-brokered peace agreement in Washington, DC
Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Friday, raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more so far this year. The agreement marks a breakthrough in talks held by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which also aim 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 at the Department of State, the two countries' foreign ministers signed the agreement pledging to implement a 2024 deal that would see Rwandan troops withdraw from eastern DR Congo within 90 days, according to a version initialled by technical teams last week and seen by Reuters. Rwanda's top diplomat said Friday that DR Congo agreed to end all support for Hutu militants linked to the 1994 genocide. The agreement is "grounded in the commitment made here for an irreversible and verifiable end to state support for FDLR and associated militias", Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said at the ceremony. 05:55 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 two sides signing 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." Trump was due to meet the foreign ministers in the Oval Office later on Friday. 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 DR Congo's two largest cities and lucrative mining areas in a lightning advance earlier this year. The gains this year by M23, the latest cycle in a decades-old conflict with roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, sparked fears of a wider war drawing in DR Congo's neighbours. Rwandan Foreign Minister Nduhungirehe called the deal a turning point. DR Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said the agreement must be followed by disengagement. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the initialled version of the agreement. Economic deals Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters in May that Washington wanted the peace deal and accompanying minerals deals to be signed simultaneously this summer. However, the agreement signed on Friday gives DR Congo and Rwanda three months to launch a framework "to expand foreign trade and investment derived from regional critical mineral supply chains", according to the initialled version seen by Reuters. 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. DRC, Rwanda to sign US-mediated peace deal and end conflict 05:05 The agreement signed on Friday was set to voice "full support" for the Qatar-hosted talks, according to the initialled version. It also says DR 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, a DR 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 DR Congo, paving the way for Friday's signing ceremony. DR 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 DR Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. "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, specialising in Africa's Great Lakes region. Similar formulas have been attempted before, he 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".
