Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, has revealed that he is willing to hold up his country’s end of the recent peace deal signed with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, he noted that his compliance is dependent on Congo’s move.
- Rwanda’s President Kagame expressed commitment to honoring the peace agreement with the DRC if the latter fulfills its obligations.
- The U.S. mediated the peace deal, aiming to address the prolonged conflict in eastern DRC and improve regional stability.
- The agreement includes clauses on respecting territorial integrity, prohibiting hostilities, and ensuring refugee returns.
The president of Rwanda recently disclosed that he is not going to stand for any tricks from the Democratic Republic of Congo, regarding the recent peace deal between both countries, brokered by the United States.
To resolve the protracted conflict in the eastern part of the DRC that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and strained regional relations, the United States, last week, mediated a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Washington.
Together with representatives from the US and Qatar, the two nations’ foreign ministers signed the agreement on Friday.
A prior statement mentioned “provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities,” as well as the facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced individuals, although the agreement’s complete contents have not been made public.
Commenting on the deal, as reported by Reuters, Kagame, in Kigali, assured reporters that Rwanda was dedicated to implementing the agreement, but that it would fall through if Congo failed to fulfill its commitments to neutralize the FDLR.
“If the side that we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it,” Kagame said.
He went on to applaud the U.S. and the efforts of its president, Donald Trump to bring peace between both states, noting that if things fell apart, the U.S. is not to be blamed.
America’s involvement in the Rwanda-Congo conflict
Several months ago, the United States announced a huge mining transaction in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a larger attempt to secure a peace agreement between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda.
This action underscored Washington’s growing political and economic commitment in a region long marred by strife, notably in the eastern provinces, where vast mineral riches has historically fueled bloodshed and foreign meddling.
SEE ALSO: US gives conditions for Rwanda-DR Congo peace deal
The planned pact, which would grant US and allied corporations access to Congo’s huge quantities of key minerals such as cobalt, coltan, lithium, and gold, is being framed not only as an economic transaction, but also as a calculated geopolitical instrument.
Late last month President Donald Trump announced a landmark peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda, aimed at ending one of Africa’s longest-running and most violent conflicts.
“I am very happy to report that I have arranged, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a wonderful Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, in their war, which was known for violent bloodshed and death, more so even than most other wars, and has gone on for decades,” Trump said.
