The president celebrated the agreement, signed in the newly named Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump oversaw the signing of a peace agreement between President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda on Dec. 4.
Trump welcomed the two leaders to the White House for a trilateral discussion in the Oval Office before the group drove to the newly named Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace for a signing ceremony to celebrate the deal, known as the “Washington Accords.”
“This is a special occasion for a lot of reasons, but number one is, this is our first time in this building, using it for peace,” Trump said.
It’s an amazing day, great day for Africa, a great day for the world.”
Speaking in front of a blue banner emblazoned with the words “Delivering Peace,” the commander-in-chief highlighted the many previous attempts to end the war.
“Today we’re succeeding where many others have failed,” Trump said.
“Today we commit to stopping decades of violence and bloodshed and to begin a new era of harmony and cooperation between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda,”
The president thanked the “two courageous leaders” and touted the deal as a “very detailed, powerful agreement” that “will support a lasting peace.”
Economic elements of the negotiated framework will allow both nations to prosper as rare earth metals and other minerals are mined, he said.
“They’re going to have a lot of money, and a lot of success, and I think they’re going to get along really well,” Trump said.
Rwanda’s president expressed gratitude for Trump’s commitment to peace and for leading the negotiations.
“President Trump introduced a new and effective dynamism that created a space for breakthroughs,” Kagame said during the ceremony. “His approach is evenhanded, never taking sides. He orients us to the future, not the past.”
Also in attendance for the event were the presidents of Angola, Burundi, and Kenya, the Council of Ministers of Togo, as well as the vice president of Uganda, and representatives from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the African Union Commission.
