The top diplomats from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda urged President Trump to stay committed to enforcing a peace agreement between the two countries signed Friday in Washington.
Trump called the peace agreement, which aims to halt three decades of war, a “tremendous breakthrough,” as the foreign ministers from Congo and Rwanda were more cautious.
“Stay committed. Stay on board. We need the United States to make sure that this agreement holds and that you hold us accountable,” Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner said to Trump, during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
That was echoed by Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.
“So for this economic integration framework to be implemented, it’s important for the U.S. to accompany the parties to implement what we have signed, because in the past, [the parties] have signed so many agreements that were not implemented, and we are ready,” he said.
Trump is expected to host the leaders of Congo and Rwanda for a formal signing of the peace agreement in July. He invited Angola’s president to attend as well.
Trump said he would apply “a lot of pressure” if the parties did not enforce what is being called the Washington Accord.
“I would just say that there are big penalties if they violate, and they’re not going to, I don’t think they will violate, but we have very severe penalties, financial and otherwise,” Trump said.
The ongoing violence, concentrated in the eastern Congo, involves multiple armed groups. The most powerful, the M23, is backed by Rwanda. Qatar is mediating further talks with M23.
U.S. involvement in peace efforts began earlier this year, when Congo saw an opportunity to entice American mediation in exchange for access to the country’s rich stores of critical minerals, used for much of the world’s technology.
Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Africa and father-in-law to his daughter Tiffany Trump, told reporters that the U.S. was working on mineral agreements with both Congo and Rwanda.
“We’re negotiating a minerals deal with the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] for critical minerals. Many American companies have shown interest in investing in the DRC,” he said. “Same thing with Rwanda. Many American companies have shown interest, and not only in mining, but also in the midstream and downstream, which will be the processing of minerals.”
Congo is particularly well known for its supply of cobalt, which is used in batteries, gas-powered turbines and car air bags — as well as oil and chemical industry uses.
A federal report last year raised human rights concerns about the mining, stating that forced labor is used in Congo cobalt production.
Rwanda is a major exporter of tungsten, which is used in metalworking, mining and construction.
