DRC–Rwanda Peace Deal

At a Dec. 4 ceremony hosted by the White House at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace (formerly the U.S. Institute of Peace), President Trump welcomed Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi to sign the U.S.-brokered "Washington Accords," formally ratifying a June agreement that aims for a permanent ceasefire, disarmament of non‑state forces, refugee returns and expanded economic cooperation — including Trump’s pledge that the U.S. will buy rare‑earth and other critical minerals from Rwanda and the DRC. The event unfolded amid controversy over the forced renaming and takeover of USIP and ongoing court challenges and layoffs, and came as fighting in eastern DRC — notably intensified shelling around Kamanyola and rejection of the deal by groups like M23 — underscored that core security conditions remain unmet.