President Trump claimed on Wednesday that his administration was close to brokering peace in the war between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, two African nations with a long history of conflict. He made the remarks at an Oval Office meeting with South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mr. Trump said that Massad Boulos, the State Department’s senior adviser for Africa and the father-in-law to Tiffany Trump, had helped settle the war. Mr. Boulos, who was at the Oval Office meeting, said that Rwanda and Congo had both submitted draft peace agreements that had been evaluated and merged into one by the Trump administration, creating an agreement that was now being finalized.
The conflict between Congo and its much smaller eastern neighbor, Rwanda, has simmered for three decades. The latest invasion of Congo by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia started in late 2021.
In an interview in February, Felix Tshisekedi, the president of Congo, offered the United States and Europe access to his country’s vast mineral wealth while asking for help forcing Rwanda to withdraw from Congo’s east. Mr. Boulos traveled to Congo last month, after which Congo and Rwanda signed a document committing to work toward peace and to cooperate with U.S. investors, especially in mining and infrastructure projects.
Fighting is still raging in eastern Congo, where M23 has seized swaths of territory. During the meeting, Mr. Ramaphosa spoke of various international efforts to achieve a cease-fire, and said that South Africa, which had contributed troops to a regional force, was removing its soldiers so that peace could prevail.
“All efforts, including those from outside the continent and inside the continent, are really worthwhile,” he told Mr. Trump.
Ruth Maclean is the West Africa bureau chief for The Times, covering 25 countries including Nigeria, Congo, the countries in the Sahel region as well as Central Africa.
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