Historic Rwanda-Congo Accord Signed Under Trump, US Gains Rare Earth Minerals

Trump Signs Rwanda-DRC Peace Deal, Unlocks Central Africa’s Minerals for US Firms.

US President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday to sign a Washington-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending a 30-year conflict in eastern Congo. The deal also opens the region’s critical mineral reserves to American companies.

Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and DRC’s Felix Tshisekedi committed to the agreement, while acknowledging a “demanding path” ahead. Trump described the signing as “a great day for Africa, a great day for the world and for these two countries.”

The eastern DRC is rich in cobalt, copper, gold, tin, tungsten, and tantalum, and the US hopes to involve its companies in extraction and investment. “There’s tremendous wealth in that beautiful earth, but it was stained badly with blood,” Trump said.

Kagame stressed that responsibility for the agreement’s success lies with Rwanda and the DRC. “There will be ups and downs on the road ahead… Rwanda will not be found wanting,” he said. Tshisekedi called the pact “the beginning of a new path,” adding that while the road is difficult, it could mark a turning point for lasting peace.

The deal follows a preliminary agreement signed in June, though fighting continues with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who recently captured Goma and Bukavu. The conflict traces back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when fleeing Hutu militias settled in eastern Congo, sparking decades of tension between Kigali and Kinshasa.