Trump to host Rwanda and DRC leaders at White House to sign peace deal
The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump will host the Presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday for the signing of a major peace and economic agreement. The deal, described as “historic” by White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, is expected to be signed by Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi.
This event follows months of negotiations between the two countries. Their foreign ministers first signed a preliminary peace and economic pact in Washington in June. Later in November, both sides met again in Qatar, where they agreed on a new framework aimed at ending years of conflict in eastern DRC.
For more than a decade, the M23 rebel group has fought the DRC government in North Kivu province. The group, made up mostly of ethnic Tutsi, traces some of its roots to the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Although Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting the rebels, DRC authorities have accused Kigali of backing M23, a claim Rwanda rejects. Rwanda says its forces have only acted in self-defence in the border region.
The conflict has caused heavy casualties. Thousands of people, many of them civilians have been killed over the years. Fighting intensified early this year when M23 captured two of the region’s largest cities. Although peace talks have continued, clashes still break out from time to time.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that at least 319 civilians were killed in North Kivu in July. They said the killings were carried out by M23 fighters with help from members of the Rwanda Defence Force, shortly after the initial White House agreement was signed.
During the Qatar meeting, both sides signed two out of eight implementation protocols. These included agreements on monitoring the ceasefire and exchanging prisoners. Other key issues—such as setting a clear timeline for actions, organising humanitarian aid, and ensuring the return of displaced people—are still under discussion.
Additional unresolved matters include restoring full state control in conflict areas, supporting economic reforms, reintegrating armed groups, and removing foreign fighters from the region. DRC officials have stressed that any final deal must protect the country’s territorial integrity.
Despite these outstanding challenges, President Trump has repeatedly presented the peace effort as one of several conflicts he believes he has helped resolve since taking office.
