The “end to decades of violence and bloodshed” or “a new era of harmony and cooperation” were some of the ways in which the US president, Donald Trumpused to describe another of his peace agreements sold with great fanfare, as another episode of merits for . In this case, the peace agreement between signed in Washington on the 4th, in one of those events in which Trump acts as a kind of mix between a showman and a businessman.
The recipe was the same as in other similar truce signings and he did not hide it at the table of three. “A new framework for economic prosperity,” Trump said, pointing out that “these two gentlemen have spent a lot of time talking behind the scenes and in the Oval Office.” But, after “a lot of time killing each other,” now “they are going to spend a lot of time hugging each other, holding hands and taking economic advantage of the United States“. Then he explained the ‘fine print’: “We will participate in sending some of our largest and most prominent companies to both countries. and some of the assets, and we will all make a lot of money“.
Well, that agreement with the promise of economic prosperity achieved through trade agreements has not gone a single week without violations being reported. In the last of the warning messages, coming from Rwanda, the Congolese Republic and the Burundian Army are accused of bombing villages near the border at will. Supported by “foreign mercenaries” y “using fighter jets and drones”.
The reality is that just two days ago, three after the signing of the Trump agreement, it was the Congo that, through its president, Félix Tshisekedi denounced that Rwanda was violating the commitments they had made in Washington.
What is happening between Rwanda and Congo?
For its part, on the other side in the contest, a statement from the Congo River Alliance – March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) coalition – the M23 rebel military-, have indicated that they were “forced to counteract” these actions. They claim that the bombings from Burundi on the territory of Kamanyola (South Kivu) have caused “more than 1,000 Congolese citizens have fled across the border to Bugarama in southern Rwanda, where they are staying in the Nyarushishi transit camp. And they put the Burundi force at “about 20,000 soldiers [desplegados] in South Kivu at the service of the Government of the DRC” who would be besieging villages.
It should be remembered that at the beginning of the year, it was the M23 troops who forcibly took Goma, capital of the province of North Kivu, and weeks later Bukavu, capital of South Kivu. Currently, the bulk of the fighting is taking place in the southern Luvungi, also recently conquered by said paramilitary group, the same one that the UN places as supporting Rwanda. Both the European Unionlike the US and United Kingdom have left messages of concern and warning about the fragility of what was agreed in both African countries.
It is also worth mentioning that Donald Trump himself scored the diplomatic point of the agreement between Congo and Rwanda, but after having joined the negotiation work promoted by Qatar between the Congolese Government itself and the M23. Was a Doha where a had been unlocked first signaturealready the November 15between both parties to reach a framework agreement of negotiation.
Later, in Washington, two statements were made that today take on new nuances. Kagamethe Rwandan president, applauded that, although “no one” had asked Trump to get involved“when he saw the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately joined in.” Today, trade agreements with the US are more stable than the truce itself that it claims to have forged.
