WASHINGTON, Dec 4 — U.S. President Donald Trump will meet the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Washington on Thursday, aiming to finalize agreements intended to stabilize the conflict-torn Great Lakes region and attract Western mining investments.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi are expected to reaffirm their commitment to an economic integration pact reached last month, as well as a U.S.-mediated peace deal agreed in June but not yet put into practice. Analysts say U.S. diplomatic efforts have slowed the escalation of violence in eastern Congo but have not addressed the underlying issues. Earlier this year, the M23 rebel group—backed by Rwanda—captured two major eastern cities in a rapid offensive, raising fears of broader conflict.
Trump has been keen to boost his foreign-policy credentials. Since taking office in January, his administration has intervened in several global crises, including the Middle East and Ukraine, with mixed outcomes. While brokering a Gaza deal earned some praise, the president has faced criticism at home over rising living costs.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Trump’s name was added to a sign outside the U.S. Institute of Peace—the venue for the signing—after his administration attempted to take control of the institution earlier this year.
Despite the renewed diplomatic push, conditions on the ground may not improve immediately. On Tuesday, Congo’s military and M23 traded accusations of breaking recently renewed ceasefires. In Washington on Wednesday, Congolese spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said the latest clashes showed “Rwanda doesn’t want peace.”
M23 will not participate in the Washington talks and is not bound by any bilateral Congo–Rwanda agreement.
Jason Stearns, a regional analyst at Simon Fraser University, said U.S. diplomacy has managed only to temporarily halt the conflict’s escalation: “They’ve just put a pin in it. The core problems remain unresolved.”
Rwanda denies supporting M23, stating its forces act only in self-defense against Hutu militants linked to the 1994 genocide. However, a U.N. expert panel reported in July that Rwanda maintains command and control over the rebels.
M23 says it is protecting Congolese Tutsi communities, continuing a decades-long ethnic conflict in the region. Millions were killed during two major wars between 1996 and 2003, and the latest fighting has caused thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands.
MINERAL-RICH REGION AND STRATEGIC INTERESTS
The Trump administration has discussed mobilizing billions in Western investment for Congo and Rwanda, an area rich in cobalt, copper, lithium, gold, tantalum, tin, and tungsten. The U.S. is seeking to secure access to these critical minerals amid competition with China.
Under the June agreement, Congo is expected to dismantle the FDLR, an anti-Rwanda armed group, while Rwanda must withdraw its forces from Congolese territory. So far, progress has been minimal.
“We hope to see improvements on the ground after the signing,” Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told Reuters on Wednesday.
