US President Donald Trump has revealed a major breakthrough in the conflict in eastern DR Congo . According to Trump, the United States, DR Congo, and Rwanda have reached a deal that combines peace and economic cooperation.
-Permanent ceasefire agreed between DRC and Rwanda
-Non-state armed groups will be disarmed
-A programme will begin to return refugees to their home areas
-Those who committed atrocities in eastern DRC will face justice
-On the economic side, Trump says the United States will gain access to rare-earth minerals from DRC and Rwanda as part of this deal.
-He added that American companies will soon enter both countries to work in mining and other strategic sectors.
Basically, it is all about America first. The winner in this deal is Mr. Trump and the USA. The loser is Mr. Tshisekedi and the DRC, who have flung the door wide open for unprecedented exploitation of their natural resources by US companies.
Of course the armed conflict will flare up again sooner rather than later and the DRC will find itself dependent on US military assistance. Eventually the US will be mired in another armed conflict they cannot win. By the time they exit, the DRC will be in ruins.
China has already got a noticeable presence in the DRC. I wonder what will happen to their established interests. If they get forced out by the US, they might not take it lying down. Another proxy war in the making.