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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump helped these African countries sign a peace deal. Here's what we know
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — 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 terms of the deal 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.' Uncertainty over whether the hostilities will end 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. What Congolese think of the deal 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. ___ Justin Kabumba and Saleh Mwanamilongo in Congo contributed to this report. Chinedu Asadu, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump helped these African countries sign a peace deal. Here's what we know
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — 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 terms of the deal 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.' Uncertainty over whether the hostilities will end 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. What Congolese think of the deal 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. ___ Justin Kabumba and Saleh Mwanamilongo in Congo contributed to this report.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Questions over terms as Rwanda and DRC prepare to sign peace deal in US
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo will sign an agreement in Washington on Friday to put an end to a conflict in the eastern DRC that has killed thousands, although questions remain on what it will mean for the region. Donald Trump has trumpeted the diplomacy that led to the deal, and has publicly complained that he yet to receive a Nobel peace prize. But the agreement has also come under scrutiny for its vagueness, including on the economic component, with the Trump administration eager to compete with China and profit from abundant mineral wealth in eastern of the DRC, an area which has long been turbulent. In late 2021 the M23 rebel group in launched a new offensive that escalated sharply early this year, seizing broad swathes of territory including the key eastern DRC city of Goma. The Kinshasa government has long said – a position supported by Washington – that M23, which consists mostly of ethnic Tutsis, receives military support from Rwanda. Rwanda has denied directly supporting the rebels 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 Rwandan and DRC foreign ministers will sign the agreement in Washington in the presence of Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, a state department spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, said. The White House also said Trump will meet the foreign ministers in the Oval Office. In a joint statement, the three countries said the agreement would include 'respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities' as well as the disarmament of all 'non-state armed groups'. The agreement was mediated through Qatar, a frequent US partner, and Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman and father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany who was asked by the president to be a senior adviser on Africa. The statement also spoke of a 'regional economic integration framework' and of a future summit in Washington bringing together Trump, Rwanda's president, Paul Kagame, and the DRC president, Felix Tshisekedi. Denis Mukwege, a gynaecologist who shared the 2018 Nobel peace prize for his work to end the DRC's epidemic of sexual violence in war, voiced alarm that the agreement was too opaque. He said that the talk of economic cooperation was an unjust reward for Rwanda. The deal 'would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimising 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. On the eve of the signing, the news outlet Africa Intelligence reported that the deal was asking Rwanda to withdraw its 'defensive measures' and for the DRC to end all association with the FDLR. The Rwandan foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, denied the matter on X. 'As a matter of facts, the words 'Rwanda Defense Force', 'Rwandan troops' or 'withdrawal' are nowhere to be seen in the document,' he said. In April, while on a visit to Washington to start the negotiations, the Congolese foreign minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, said that Rwanda should be obliged to withdraw from her country, which has been ravaged by decades of war. Both countries have sought favour with the US. The DRC – which has enormous mineral reserves including lithium and cobalt, which are vital in electric vehicles – has pitched an agreement to seek US investment, loosely inspired by the Trump administration's minerals deal with Ukraine. Rwanda has been discussing taking in migrants deported from the US, a major priority for Trump. Rwanda, one of the most stable countries in Africa, had reached a migration deal with Britain's former Conservative government but the arrangement was killed by the Labour government that took office last year.
eNCA
17-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Fourth SANDF group set to return home
JOHANNESBURG - A fourth group of SANDF troops deployed to eastern DRC is expected to return to South Africa. They were part of a SADC peacekeeping mission, now ending after the bloc decided to end its deployment. Earlier this year, 14 South African soldiers were killed in clashes with M23 Rebels near Goma. The final group is expected to arrive back in the country on Thursday.
News24
11-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
First group of South African soldiers deployed to DRC set to return home
The troops, who will be returning to Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein, will be welcomed by Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga. Their deployment was part of the SAMIDRC's efforts to restore stability in eastern DRC, where armed groups, including M23 rebels, have engaged in violent conflict. The mission was marred by tragedy as 14 soldiers lost their lives in a fight with the M23 rebels; their remains were repatriated for burial in February. The first group of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who were deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to arrive back on home soil this week. The SANDF announced on Wednesday that its troops are set to arrive at Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein around midday on Friday. 'The troops will be welcomed by the minister of defence and military veterans, accompanied by members of the Military Command Council,' the SANDF said in a statement. Their homecoming marks the end of their participation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which aimed to help restore peace in the conflict-ridden eastern region of the country. In May, South Africa announced the withdrawal of its troops months after the country lost 14 soldiers in a fight with the M23 rebels. The bodies of the 14 soldiers were allowed out of the war-torn area in February. The first group of soldiers was safely withdrawn and transported to an assembly point in Tanzania in April, where they waited the arrival of the remaining troops.
