Trump’s Rwanda–DRC Breakthrough: Peace at Last—But at What Cost?
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It felt like a historic moment yesterday: the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a peace and economic-integration agreement brokered by Donald Trump, the President of the United States. This deal, the first of its kind between the two countries in recent times, may open a new chapter for the embattled eastern DRC, long wracked by ethnic violence and instability. Historical Context: Why the Deal Matters For decades, the eastern DRC has been plagued by conflict and foreign interference. A key actor in this has been M23 (the March 23 Movement), a rebel group that initially rose up in 2012. The group emerged after a splinter of the former rebel group CNDP accused the DRC government of reneging on a 2009 deal. M23 rapidly seized key territory, including the provincial city of Goma, forcing thousands, if not millions, to flee. Eventually, international pressure and military counteroffensives, including by a UN-backed force, dislodged the rebels. ...