SA Absent as Peace Maker Trump Ends Decades of Conflict in DRC

American President Donald Trump declared an end to the war in eastern Congo last week at a Washington signing ceremony with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

The agreement, dubbed the Washington Accords, seeks to resolve a decades-long conflict that has killed an estimated four to six million people since the 1990s.

Reality on the ground, however, remains uncertain. Fighting between forces aligned with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continued even as the leaders travelled to the United States (US) for the ceremony. While Trump called the deal a historic milestone, observers caution that it is largely aspirational.

Under the accord, the DRC has committed to neutralising the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (known by its French abbreviation, FDLR), a militia group formed by Hutu extremists after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which is opposed to the current Kagame government. Meanwhile, Rwanda promises to stop supporting M23 militants and withdraw its troops from Congolese territory.

The deal also includes economic elements, with American-backed initiatives aimed at unlocking the countries’ mineral wealth. Trump said: "We're sending some of our biggest and greatest companies over to the two countries, and we're going to take out some of the rare earth and take out some of the assets and pay, and everybody's going to make a lot of money."

Despite the ceremony, long-standing grievances remain unresolved and the conflict could reignite again, say observers.

At the ceremony, Trump framed the agreement in symbolic terms, saying the leaders would now “spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands”. Kagame acknowledged the process as the clearest path forward, while Tshisekedi called it a “turning point”, warning that his country would remain vigilant.

Analysts note that US mediation has successfully brought the parties to the table, but achieving lasting peace will depend on mutual trust, effective enforcement, and the willingness of both sides to resolve deep-rooted conflicts that decades of violence have left unresolved.

South Africa’s non-participation was noteworthy as Pretoria has for decades been involved in both civilian and military efforts to bring peace to the region.