United States President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Washington on Thursday for the signing of a peace agreement. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that President Félix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame will endorse a “historic peace and economic” deal brokered by Trump.
The meeting builds on a peace accord reached in June, which was signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers, and on an economic framework agreed upon in November. It caps months‑long diplomatic efforts aimed at securing peace in eastern Congo, a region plagued by conflict for decades. The Congolese government has said its signing will depend on Rwanda’s withdrawal of support for the M23 rebel group. Rwanda’s President Kagame, however, has accused Congolese authorities of stalling the final signature, even as he expressed optimism and warned that lasting peace requires “people directly concerned” to be committed to results.
In parallel with the U.S.-mediated process, the DRC is negotiating with the M23 rebels in Qatar. The two sides signed a framework for peace in Doha on 15 November, building on an earlier declaration of principles, and the development is viewed as a significant step toward ending the fighting in eastern Congo.
The Thursday signing represents a major milestone in efforts to bring stability to the region. The agreement is expected to improve both the economic and security situation in eastern Congo and is seen as a notable achievement for the Trump administration’s diplomatic outreach in Africa. With the international community watching, the success of the pact will hinge on the commitment of all parties to implement its terms and pursue lasting peace. Reuters has been closely following these developments.
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