President Donald Trump hosted the presidents from Rwanda and Congo at the U.S. Institute of Peace on Thursday to officially sign a peace agreement and participate in a ceremony to end conflict in the region.
“Today, we commit to stopping decades of violence and bloodshed and to begin a new era of harmony and cooperation between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda,” Trump said in his opening remarks. “I want to thank the two courageous leaders.”
“I’ve just held really fantastic meetings with both men and representatives from other countries, where we discussed the importance of upholding this new agreement, very detailed, powerful agreement,” he added.
Trump welcomed Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi to Washington to affirm their commitment to a U.S.-brokered peace agreement from June, and an economic compact agreed upon last month. They also signed agreements over critical minerals from the region as the Trump administration looks to not rely on China for the rare earth material.
“It’s a great day for Africa, a great day for the world,” Trump also said. “Today, we’re succeeding where so many others have failed.”
The African leaders joined Trump to sign and exchange the documents affirming their commitment to peace, titled the Washington Accords. It’s one of several global conflicts that Trump has sought to end in his second term.
Kagame of Rwanda thanked Trump for his leadership in achieving the peace deal and the support of everyone in the room providing the necessary support for the deal to succeed.
“The biggest vote of thanks goes to President Donald Trump. No one was asking President Trump to take up this task. Our region is far from the headlines, but when the president saw the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately took it,” Kagame said in his remarks.
Kagame said the deal, which was aided by the work of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is the “clearest and most viable path forward” that they have ever seen.
“It’s up to us in Africa, working with our partners, to consolidate and expand this peace,” he said.
Tshisekedi of the Congo echoed a similar sentiment. He said he feels a sense of “deep gratitude and clear hope” and expressed thanks to Trump and his administration for their role in brokering the deal.
“The Washington agreements are not yet another document. These represent a turning point,” Tshisekedi said. “They bring together under a coherent architecture, a declaration of principles of a peace agreement and also the regional economic integration framework to provide the peoples of the region a new perspective, new outlook, namely, to finally overcome the cycle of violence, of force, the displacements of mistrust, the defiance, in order to begin a new era of friendship, cooperation and prosperity all shared together.”
He said Congo is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the agreement and hopes that Rwanda will do the same.
“I do believe this day is the beginning of a new path, a demanding path, yes indeed, quite difficult. But this is a path where peace will not just be a wish and aspiration, but a turning point,” Tshisekedi said.