At the beginning of the event at the newly-renamed Donald J Trump Institute of Peace, Trump said the peace ceremony was a “great day” for Africa and the world.
“I have a lot of confidence in both leaders,” Trump added. “We’ll keep these commitments. I know they’re going to keep them and follow through on the agreement and create a much brighter future for the people of their countries.”
DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame have frequently exchanged insults in recent years, each accusing the other of starting the conflict.
Trump got the two countries’ foreign ministers to sign a peace accord in June, hailing it as a “glorious triumph”.
Tshisekedi and Kagame have now endorsed it, as have a number of other African leaders who attended the signing ceremony, including those from Kenya, Angola, Burundi and Togo, as well as the vice-president of Uganda.
At the event, Kagame praised Trump as an “even-handed” leader who is “never taking sides”. Kagame described Trump’s approach as pragmatic and said that “as a result, we have the clearest and most viable path forward that we have ever had.”
Tshisekedi expressed “deep gratitude and clear hope”, while at the same time saying he hoped Rwanda will “respect the letter and spirit of the deal”.
The foreign ministers of Qatar and the UAE also were in attendance, as was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
bbc.com
