AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed what President Trump is calling a peace deal, and he says it also comes with mineral rights for the U.S. The war is a complicated one with many players and countries involved, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there is still work to do. But U.S. officials are hoping this brings about a new era for the region and new business deals. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: President Trump says he thinks he should get credit for ending a brutal war between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You know, they were fighting for years, and it was machetes. It was vicious. It was as vicious - people's heads being chopped off.
KELEMEN: But the war in Eastern Congo is a difficult one to unwind, and President Trump himself says he's a little out of his league on this. The conflict has its roots in the Rwandan genocide and involves other countries and militias fighting over the region's mineral riches. In recent months, the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has taken over several towns and cities. Despite evidence from the U.N. and others, Rwanda denies it's helping the rebels, and its foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, says there's a lot of mistrust.
OLIVIER NDUHUNGIREHE: There is a great deal of uncertainty in our region and beyond because many previous agreements have not been implemented, and there is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy.
KELEMEN: Sitting at the same table at the State Department, his Congolese counterpart, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, put it this way.
THERESE KAYIKWAMBA WAGNER: Peace is a choice but also responsibility to respect international law, to uphold human rights and to protect the sovereignty of states. Those who have suffered the most are watching.
KELEMEN: A Congolese doctor who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping victims of sexual violence says the deal doesn't mention anything about justice for the victims. And Denis Mukwege writes on social media that no real peace can ignore the large-scale massacres suffered by civilians in Eastern Congo. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledges that there is still work to do. He praised Qatar for its role in helping this diplomacy, and U.S. envoy Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump.
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MARCO RUBIO: Our superstar there, Mr. Boulos. What do you want to do next after you're done with this?
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MASSAD BOULOS: Sudan.
RUBIO: Sudan. Yeah. Very important. Actually, very, very important. And you're very involved in that, as well. So, what are you guys doing this week in Qatar? You guys want to work with him or not (ph)?
KELEMEN: U.S. officials see business opportunities out of this deal, and President Trump says the U.S. will be getting some mineral rights in Congo. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, the State Department. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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