"The Trump administration is hoping the deal will end decades of conflict in eastern Congo. But even as the two leaders prepare to put pen to paper, fighting between Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continues to rage in eastern Congo. This week saw especially fierce combat around the town of Kamanyola, on the Rwandan border. The ceremony is largely symbolic the agreement was already signed over the summer and critics still see obstacles to its implementation."
"President Trump declared the June deal "a glorious triumph" and has since claimed to have ended over 30 years of war in the mineral-rich region. Under its terms, Rwanda is meant to withdraw its troops and stop supporting the M23, a rebel group led by Congolese ethnic minority Tutsi commanders. Congo is supposed to eradicate a militia known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) which Rwanda's government views as an existential threat."
A U.S.-brokered peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda is scheduled for a signing ceremony in Washington at the Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace. Both governments previously signed the deal on June 27 after tensions nearly led to all-out war earlier in the year. Under the agreement, Rwanda must withdraw troops and cease support for the M23 rebel group, while Congo must eradicate the FDLR militia. Intense fighting continues in eastern Congo, including around Kamanyola, and key implementation conditions remain unmet, leaving the ceremony largely symbolic even as leaders express hope for lasting peace.
Read at www.npr.org
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