President Donald Trump brought together the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Washington on Thursday for the signing of the “Washington Accords,” a peace agreement the administration says will stabilize eastern Congo and open access to rare earth minerals for the United States and American companies.
The signing took place at the US Institute of Peace, where Trump said the deal finalizes terms first reached by the two governments in June.
The Accords lay out a permanent ceasefire between the two nations, call for the disarmament of non-state armed groups, and establish pathways for refugees to return. Trump also said both countries committed to accountability measures for atrocities carried out during the long-running conflict.
The agreement comes after months of international mediation that included the African Union, Qatar, and American diplomatic teams. Congo’s decades-long conflict has involved more than 100 armed groups, the most powerful being the Rwanda-backed M23 movement. The group’s offensive earlier this year seized major cities including Goma and Bukavu, worsening what was already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Residents in rebel-held areas say fighting has not fully stopped. “We are still at war,” said Amani Chibalonza Edith according to France24, a resident of Goma, who said ongoing clashes between rebels and Congolese forces despite the earlier ceasefire agreement.
The administration says the peace deal also advances a Regional Economic Integration Framework negotiated in November, setting out terms for future investment and trade. U.S. officials have emphasized the need to reduce American reliance on China, which dominates global rare earth mining and processing. Congo holds some of the world's most valuable reserves of minerals used in defense systems, electronics, and energy technologies.
Both Rwanda and Congo have said American involvement is essential. “We need that attention from the administration to continue to get to where we need to get to,” said Yolande Makolo, a senior adviser to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The war stretch back to the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when nearly two million Hutus fled into Congo, igniting decades of regional instability. Each side today continues to accuse the other of violating earlier ceasefires and other war-related wrongdoings.
The signing took place at the US Institute of Peace, where Trump said the deal finalizes terms first reached by the two governments in June.
The Accords lay out a permanent ceasefire between the two nations, call for the disarmament of non-state armed groups, and establish pathways for refugees to return. Trump also said both countries committed to accountability measures for atrocities carried out during the long-running conflict.
The agreement comes after months of international mediation that included the African Union, Qatar, and American diplomatic teams. Congo’s decades-long conflict has involved more than 100 armed groups, the most powerful being the Rwanda-backed M23 movement. The group’s offensive earlier this year seized major cities including Goma and Bukavu, worsening what was already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Residents in rebel-held areas say fighting has not fully stopped. “We are still at war,” said Amani Chibalonza Edith according to France24, a resident of Goma, who said ongoing clashes between rebels and Congolese forces despite the earlier ceasefire agreement.
The administration says the peace deal also advances a Regional Economic Integration Framework negotiated in November, setting out terms for future investment and trade. U.S. officials have emphasized the need to reduce American reliance on China, which dominates global rare earth mining and processing. Congo holds some of the world's most valuable reserves of minerals used in defense systems, electronics, and energy technologies.
Both Rwanda and Congo have said American involvement is essential. “We need that attention from the administration to continue to get to where we need to get to,” said Yolande Makolo, a senior adviser to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The war stretch back to the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when nearly two million Hutus fled into Congo, igniting decades of regional instability. Each side today continues to accuse the other of violating earlier ceasefires and other war-related wrongdoings.
