Translated with AI
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a historic agreement in Washington to end fighting in eastern Congo, where armed conflict has lasted for nearly 30 years and claimed the lives of millions of people, Reuters reports .
The document was signed by the foreign ministers of both countries in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In the coming weeks, the peace treaty is planned to be signed in the US capital by the presidents of Rwanda Paul Kagame and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi.
The United States and Qatar played a mediating role in the talks. Marco Rubio called the signed agreement a "historic moment" and noted the contribution of former US President Donald Trump to achieving this result.
The conflict that has engulfed the eastern regions of the DRC began after representatives of the Tutsi ethnic group, who had previously suffered genocide at the hands of the Hutu, came to power in Rwanda. The Rwandan side accused the Congolese authorities of supporting armed groups that were against the Tutsi, while the Congo accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group, which controlled a number of border territories.
Several million people are estimated to have died in the three decades of conflict. Despite the agreement, experts warn that ending the fighting could take time, as the conflict involves multiple non-state groups that control separate territories.
US President Donald Trump said the agreement had ended "one of the worst wars ever." He also noted that the agreement would provide American companies with access to rich mineral resources in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
