President Donald Trump is expected to host the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday at the White House as the two nations sign a peace agreement he brokered to bring an end to more than 30 years of war between the two nations.
During a Monday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump will be hosting Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the White House on Thursday.
Leavitt told reporters, “On Thursday, President Trump will host the presidents of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign the historic peace and economic agreement that he brokered.”
According to The Associated Press, Tshisekedi previously confirmed that he would be traveling to the United States this week to sign a final peace agreement with Kagame. The outlet noted that the Congo’s government has emphasized that the signing of the peace agreement is conditional on Rwanda withdrawing its support of M23 rebels in the eastern region of the country. Meanwhile, Kagame has warned that enduring peace in the region will only be possible if “people directly concerned are committed to achieve results.”
The Associated Press reported that the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced significant conflict between government forces and over 100 armed groups, including the M23 rebels, which are allegedly supported by Rwanda. According to the outlet, the M23 rebel group seized the cities of Bukavu and Goma earlier this year.
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According to The Associated Press, while Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 rebel group, United Nations experts have claimed that 3,000 or 4,000 Rwandan government forces have been deployed to the eastern region of the Congo and have conducted operations alongside the M23 rebel group.
Tina Salama, a Tshisekedi spokesperson, told The Associated Press on Friday that a peace deal between the two countries requires “no mixing or integration of M23 fighters.” The spokesperson noted that the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the country was previously agreed to in an agreement signed by the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Congo.
“We are seeking peace within the framework of regional integration,” Salama stated. “What is non-negotiable for us is the territorial integrity of the DRC.”
During a meeting in June with the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which involved the signing of the first phase of a peace agreement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “This is an important moment after 30 years of war. President Trump is a president of peace. He really does want peace. He prioritizes it above all else.”
