Washington, DC — Ranking Member Shaheen, Senators Coons, Booker Assertion on the Ministerial Signing of the Peace Deal Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate International Family Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), released the following assertion on the peace deal brokered by the US and witnessed by the Secretary of Verbalize Marco Rubio between the International Ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda:
“A peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda is a extraordinarily valuable step towards bringing an finish to over 30 years of battle in eastern DRC. We seek for the representatives from the DRC, Rwanda, and the US, who, since the signing of a Declaration of Tips on April 25, 2025, beget labored tirelessly to solidify the parameters of this agreement to make the root for stability and prosperity within the situation.
“While signing an agreement is important, implementation will most likely be valuable, and we creep both events and all global companions to fetch certain its enforcement. This contains all of a sudden rising access to life-saving humanitarian support for folk in need within the route of eastern DRC, where over 4 million of us are internally displaced and bigger than 100,000 beget fled to neighboring countries since January 1, 2025. Furthermore, as the deal hinges on appreciate for territorial integrity, Rwandan troops have to withdraw from eastern DRC and stop strengthen for the M23. The executive of the DRC have to finish their strengthen for militias reminiscent of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and fetch certain their total disarmament and reintegration. On the time of signing, we have to seek for that battle continues in eastern DRC and that girls and young of us undergo the brunt of the violence. Mechanisms for justice and accountability are valuable to deal with the root causes of violence and fetch an operable atmosphere for peace.
“We also seek forward to sexy with the Administration on plans for U.S. bilateral economic funding agreements with the DRC and Rwanda, together with understanding how these will pork up transparency, handy resource governance and the neatly-being and prosperity of native communities.
“We’re keenly looking out at how today’s agreement shapes the future of eastern DRC. Right here is where the exertions begins, and following thru on all the issues of the deal will most likely be valuable to its success.”
Secure. Chris Smith Introduces Resolution Supporting Historic Peace Accord brokered by President Trump to Cease One of the Deadliest Conflicts since World War II
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House International Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, today launched guidelines pushing for a sturdy diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic response to the worsening disaster within the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—a situation plagued by nearly three decades of battle that has claimed about 6 million lives and displaced bigger than 6.8 million of us as of April 2025.
The introduction comes as the governments of DRC and Rwanda signal a peace agreement today brokered by the Trump Administration, together with Secretary of Verbalize Marco Rubio and Senior Advisor Massad Boulos, marking what Smith called a “extreme and long-overdue step toward ending the violence and struggling that has engulfed the situation for a long way too long.”
“Six million deaths is staggering and intolerable,” talked about Secure. Smith. “The US—under President Trump—is leading the formulation in promoting regional peace, true accountability, and clear present chains thru principled diplomacy and orderly alternatives.”
Earlier this year, Congressman Smith chaired a pivotal hearing on March 25, 2025, titled “Metals, Minerals, and Mining: How the CCP Fuels War and Exploitation in Africa,” which exposed the Chinese Communist Social gathering’s (CCP) malign role in Africa’s extreme minerals sector, exposing how illegal and unregulated Chinese-backed mining operations beget fueled battle, undermined governance, and pushed the exploitation of child labor.
The resolution reflects Smith’s decades-long management on legislative and oversight work on the DRC, together with his chairmanship of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Charge and the bicameral Congressional-Govt Charge on China, where he consistently exposed the link between illegal Chinese mining operations in Africa and the financing of armed teams and child labor.
“This resolution urges the instantaneous end of armed neighborhood actions, encourages focused sanctions, supports inclusive national dialogue, and backs ongoing efforts to attain regional peace,” Smith talked about. “It acknowledges that lasting peace have to also consist of factual governance and sustainable economic alternatives—reminiscent of these being evolved thru this administration’s U.S.-DRC extreme minerals agreements.”
“We have to always reject complicity in atrocities committed for the sake of low-imprint cobalt and client electronics,” Smith added. “This guidelines reaffirms the US’ management to stand for peace thru strength, and to fetch certain justice, no longer exploitation, defines our engagement within the situation.”
Meeks Assertion on Peace Deal Between DRC and Rwanda
Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House International Affairs Committee, issued the following assertion on the signing of a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda:
“I welcome today’s announcement of a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda, which encompasses a prohibition of hostilities in eastern Congo and an agreement between both events to facilitate beefy humanitarian access and the return of refugees and internally displaced members. For too long, Congolese civilians within the east beget been subjected to displacement, outrageous violence, sexual abuse, and intimidation by armed teams. This brutality have to finish in an instant.
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“Dazzling-faith implementation of the agreement within the weeks ahead wants to be paramount. I seek forward to seeing the beefy withdrawal of Rwandan Protection Forces from the DRC, to boot to swift motion to disarm the M23, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and other armed teams. It is a long way often crucial to undertake clear security reforms and fetch certain sturdy inclusion of Congolese civil society in determining how to deal with DRC’s many internal governance and security challenges. And the deliberate regional economic integration framework referenced in this deal on the complete is a extreme step toward securing a brighter future—and it have to incorporate the beefy engagement of the Congolese and Rwandan of us, together with communities in mining areas who deserve to profit.
“For its part, the Trump administration must now work to facilitate this promising deal by reversing its harmful foreign aid cuts and surging humanitarian and development assistance to those in the region who have long suffered from this conflict. Continued high-level U.S. attention on monitoring and accountability during the implementation process will be critical. I applaud both the Congolese and Rwandan governments for taking this step toward peace, which is essential to the region’s future prosperity.”
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