US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos, said on Thursday that he spoke with the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo about a draft peace deal this week, as it seeks to end a decades-long conflict in the region.
The United States is awaiting final feedback due this weekend from Rwanda and Congo on the draft agreement, Boulos told Reuters in an interview in Washington.
He added that there may still be amendments and adjustments, but he hopes it can be concluded in the coming weeks.
The Trump administration, which has sought to strike peace accords in multiple regions and prioritised U.S. access to critical minerals, has been seeking to end the conflict in a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium.
Boulos said he spoke with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi to touch base, adding that they were pleased with the progress that had been made.
“It was very positive from both of them,” Boulos said. “They’re both looking forward to working with us and with the Qataris and with the African Union towards achieving a final solution that will give lasting peace.”
Congo and Rwanda, earlier this month, submitted a proposal as part of a process meant to end the fighting in eastern Congo and attract billions of dollars of Western investment. Boulos said they worked on the drafts and came up with the current one.
“We are awaiting the final feedback from both parties,” Boulos said on Thursday.
“As soon as we finalise this last round, as indicated before, Secretary Rubio is ready and prepared to host them here. So we hope this can be concluded as quickly as possible in the coming few weeks,” he said, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Boulos said that there was no specific timeline for the foreign ministers to visit DC.
