By Beril Canakci
ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump announced on Friday the brokering of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, saying the long-running conflict is nearing a resolution with a formal signing expected in Washington next week.
The agreement, according to Trump, aims to end a war “known for violent bloodshed and death, more so even than most other wars,” and marks what he called “a great day for Africa and, quite frankly, a great day for the world.”
Officials from Rwanda and Congo reached an agreement that includes provisions for the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of armed groups active in eastern Congo. The agreement follows mediation efforts by the US and Qatar.
The conflict, which has persisted for decades, escalated earlier this year as the M23 rebel group, accused of receiving support from Rwanda, seized significant territory in the mineral-rich eastern provinces of Congo. Rwanda denies backing the group.
“I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “But the people know, and that’s all that matters to me.”