Rwanda: Trump Advisor Discusses Peace Deal With Kagame, Tshisekedi

On Thursday, May 15, Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor for Africa to US President Donald Trump, spoke about peace talks. He met with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). They discussed a proposed peace agreement expected to be signed in June.

Boulos shared his thoughts on X, saying, "This week, I had constructive conversations with both leaders." The peace agreement aims to address the ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo. It focuses on the root causes of decades-long insecurity. This includes the presence of FDLR, a group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The agreement will be signed at the White House in June. Kagame and Tshisekedi will sign it in front of President Trump. Boulos mentioned that the US government provided a draft of the agreement to both sides. He emphasized that reaching consensus is challenging but necessary.

On May 5, inputs from Rwanda and DR Congo were received by the US government. These inputs followed a declaration signed in Washington on April 25.

Qatar is also involved in promoting peace in eastern DR Congo. Their mediation has led Kinshasa to begin talks with the AFC/M23 movement. Tshisekedi had previously labeled this group as terrorists.

At an Africa CEO forum on May 12, Kagame acknowledged contributions from various players supporting African development. He stressed that Africans must take ownership of their future while collaborating with partners.

Kagame stated, "We have to define which direction to take as Africa." He emphasized not being entirely dependent on external contributions.

In addition to the upcoming peace deal, Rwanda and DR Congo plan to sign economic agreements with the US government. However, several preconditions must be met before signing the peace agreement.

DR Congo needs to address its internal security challenges fully. Rwanda's security concerns must also be addressed by disbanding FDLR. Furthermore, DR Congo should implement governance reforms for fair resource distribution across regions.

The Declaration of Principles was signed by Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers on April 25. This marked the start of a peace process aimed at restoring stability in eastern DR Congo and beyond. Both sides committed to resolving disputes through diplomacy and dialogue while respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.