Two African States, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, signed an agreement in Washington on 27 June to end hostilities in eastern Congo.
The United States and Qatar played the role of mediators. The document was signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It was also announced that in a few weeks the peace treaty will also be signed in Washington by Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC.
Fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of Africa’s largest countries, has continued with varying intensity for about 30 years since Kagame’s supporters came to power in Rwanda, representatives of the Tutsi people, who had previously been victims of genocide by the Hutu people. Rwandan authorities claim that DRC authorities are helping Tutsi opponents. In return, the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group, which has taken control of several border areas in the east of the country. In just 30 years, several million people have fallen victim to the conflicts.
“We are now witnessing a historic moment after 30 years of war,” the US secretary of state said. He noted the role of President Donald Trump in reaching a peace agreement.
Trump himself said that it was possible to end “one of the most terrible wars”. At the same time, he noted that the agreements also provide for access of US companies to rich mineral resources in eastern Congo.
Agencies note that the signing of the agreement itself does not mean that the fighting will stop soon, as it involves many groups that are only conditionally under the control of the central government.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the signing of the agreement, expressing hope that the USA plays an equally important role in ending the war in Ukraine and again accusing Russia of “rejecting all peace proposals”.