How Trump Help End a 30-Year War in African

After decades of violence, diplomatic dead ends, and humanitarian crises, a historic breakthrough has emerged from Washington and it’s sending major shockwaves through global politics, economics, and African regional stability. In what many analysts are already calling one of the most significant foreign policy developments of the decade, United States President Donald Trump met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi to finalize a peace treaty aimed at ending a 30-year conflict in Eastern Africa.

And in typical Trump fashion, he didn’t just emphasize peace, he emphasized profit. “Everybody is going to make a lot of money,” Trump boldly declared, signaling not only an end to violence but the beginning of a massive economic shift involving minerals, investment, and U.S.-Africa partnerships. So what exactly happened? And why does this treaty matter so much?

For three decades, the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been engulfed in conflict involving multiple rebel groups, foreign interests, local grievances, and deeply rooted ethnic tensions. The most recent phase of the fighting, involving the M23 rebel movement, allegedly backed by Rwanda, reignited at the start of the year. This renewed violence displaced thousands, destabilized borders, and threatened to drag the entire region into a broader crisis. International actors like the African Union, Qatar, and the United States repeatedly called for peace, but negotiations made little progress. Until now.

The Washington Accords

In June, the parties signed a preliminary peace document, the Washington Accords, at the White House. But this was only a framework, a handshake agreement signaling intent. The real breakthrough came this week. Trump reconvened Kagame and Tshisekedi in Washington to finalize the treaty, adding concrete commitments, deadlines, and enforcement mechanisms. According to U.S. officials, the finalized deal “establishes the parameters” of the original accords and transforms them into actionable policy.

What the Peace Deal Includes

This is not just a “stop shooting” type of agreement. It’s a comprehensive roadmap for political stabilization, economic cooperation, and justice. The treaty includes:

A permanent truce between the DRC and Rwanda
Safe return of refugees who fled the conflict
Disarmament of non-state armed groups including M23
Justice for perpetrators of atrocities
A new framework for economic collaboration, particularly around critical minerals

Trump praised both presidents, saying: “I have a lot of confidence in both leaders… They’re going to follow through on the agreement and create a much brighter future for their people.” For a region often overshadowed by global headlines, this kind of direct attention and political currency, is rare.

What’s particularly striking is the praise coming from both African leaders, who don’t usually agree on much these days. President Paul Kagame described Trump as an “even-handed” leader who “never takes sides,” a statement that stunned many political observers familiar with the tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa. He went further: “As a result, we have the clearest and most viable path forward that we have ever had.”

President Tshisekedi, who just months ago accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, has also supported the U.S.-Qatar mediation efforts, acknowledging that earlier African-led efforts by SADC and the EAC stalled despite involvement from respected leaders like Uhuru Kenyatta, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Hailemariam Desalegn. But the tide began to turn in early 2024.

In February, Tshisekedi attended a conference in Tanzania addressing the escalating conflict.
In March, Qatar hosted a new round of negotiations.
On April 25, under U.S. mediation, Rwanda and the DRC agreed to resume discussions toward peace.
By July, delegates from both countries held their first Joint Oversight Committee meeting in Washington.

Momentum had slowly been building and now, it has finally crystallized.

The Mineral Deal

Let’s be honest: no major treaty happens without economic interests in the background.

The DRC is home to some of the world’s most valuable minerals, including:

Cobalt
Lithium
Copper
Tantalum
Tin
Gold

These minerals are essential for electric vehicles, smartphones, military technology, and renewable energy systems. Trump openly acknowledged that the U.S. would expand its mineral partnership with Rwanda and the DRC under the new peace framework. He hinted that the deal will:

Open access for U.S. companies
Create new trade corridors
Bring significant foreign investment into the region
Provide jobs and revenue for both countries
Strengthen America’s supply chain independence

And in Trump’s own words: “Some of the biggest and greatest companies in the United States will be visiting both countries… Everybody is going to make a lot of money.” This statement signals that the peace deal is not just political, it’s deeply economic.

If the treaty holds, this could become one of the most important peace successes in 21st-century African history.

Here’s why:

1. It ends one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts: Millions have been displaced or killed since the 1990s. A truce could stabilize the Great Lakes region.

2. It opens the door for massive economic transformation: Peace means infrastructure, mining investments, and regional trade can flourish.

3. It reduces foreign interference and proxy conflicts: With the U.S., Qatar, and African blocs united, there’s less room for external manipulation.

4. It restores diplomatic ties between two crucial nations: Rwanda and the DRC play central roles in East and Central African politics.

For now, there’s cautious optimism. The violence has already reduced significantly in the last few months as negotiations deepened. With the finalized treaty in place, the foundation for a more secure and prosperous region has been laid. But peace is not an event, it’s a process. It will take political will, monitoring, accountability, and sustained international engagement. Still, for the first time in decades, Rwanda and the DRC are walking the same path and the world is watching. And if Trump’s predictions come true, that path might not only lead to peace… but to shared prosperity.

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