Trump wrote a letter congratulating Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi on the peace deal with Rwanda on Friday
June 29 — Although both sides of the conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have committed to disarming and disengaging their proxies, there are dozens of non-state armed groups active in the region and it’s not clear whether all of them will adhere to the ceasefire.
Just hours before the deal was signed, one of them, the Codeco militia, attacked a displaced persons camp in Ituri province, killing 10 people.
Keeping these non-state actors in line will be a tall order. Part of the peace deal involves creating the conditions to allow the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict to return home. But that won’t be possible without a complete cessation of hostilities.
Due to the eastern DR Congo’s vast mineral resources, critical to modern technology including electric car and mobile phone batteries, the economic incentives for rebel groups are incredibly tempting and this deal does not mention alternatives which may convince these groups to stop fighting over valuable territory. Integrating them into an under-resourced Congolese armed force is unlikely to prove enough of a deterrent.
It’s also still not clear what preferential access, if any, the US has been offered to DR Congo’s minerals.
Although President Donald Trump is certain that access to DR Congo’s minerals was one of his key incentives for agreeing to support the peace process, granting the US unfettered access to the country’s mineral wealth is unpopular with many in DR Congo, who are already upset with the country’s resources that have failed to provide a better life for its citizens.
The US and DR Congo could however score a big victory in this deal if only the Hutu-led FDLR, which Rwanda says is backed by DR Congo and aims to overthrow the Rwandan government, is dismantled, which can entice Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the Eastern DR Congo.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied its troops are on the ground in eastern DR Congo, despite credible information they’ve actively supported groups like M23 in the region.
The M23 group in on patrol of its captured territory in Eastern DR Congo
The signing of a peace agreement between the governments of the D.R Congo and Rwanda in Washington elicited mixed reactions, with the former Congolese president, Joseph Kabila, describing it as “nothing more than a trade agreement”.
The deal which demanded the “disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration” of armed groups fighting in eastern DR Congo, offered few other details.
While some, including Kabila, have been critical, others have hailed the agreement as a turning point in a devastating conflict that has dragged on for decades.
The UN says thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following the recent rebel offensive. The M23 disputes the figures, saying fewer than 1,000 people have died.
After the loss of territory, DR Congo’s government turned to the US for help, reportedly offering access to critical minerals in exchange for security guarantees. Eastern DR Congo is rich in coltan and other resources vital to the global electronics industries.
In a post on X following the signing of the agreement on Friday, Kabila questioned the choice of the deal’s participants, saying the DR Congo was not at war with the states depicted in a photo of the signing, which included President Donald Trump and other US officials, as well as Rwanda’s foreign minister.
It is not entirely clear if his comments were an indirect criticism of the absence of M23 representatives in Washington.
“We must stop distorting the facts to disguise a propaganda agenda,” Kabila said, adding “Congolese people deserve the truth, not a diplomatic show”.
The absence of M23 representatives was also noted in the rebel-held city of Goma in eastern DR Congo with many people and organisations questioning the essence of the deal and its subsequent effectiveness without the presence of M23 who are the core of the present situation i the eastern DR Congo.
It remains to be seen what the situation on the ground will be going forward, with concerns the Washington deal may simply enrich a few people with the country’s mineral resources to the detriment of ordinary people. Trump
