Watch: Trump hosts the leaders of Congo and Rwanda to sign an agreement on peace and minerals important to the United States

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump praised the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for their courage as they signed an agreement Thursday aimed at ending conflict in eastern Congo and opening the region’s vital mineral reserves to the U.S. government and American companies.

Watch the event in our video player above.

The moment offered Trump — who has repeatedly and somewhat exaggeratedly bragged about brokering peace in some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts — another opportunity to promote himself as an exceptional dealmaker on the world stage and prove himself worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. The American President was not ashamed of his desire to receive this honor.

“It’s a great day for Africa, and a great day for the world,” Trump said shortly before the leaders signed the agreement. He added: “Today, we are succeeding where many others have failed.”

Trump received Presidents Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as well as several officials from other African countries who traveled to Washington to attend the signing, the same week he contemptuously mocked the war-torn nation of Somalia and said he wanted to because he did not want immigrants from the East African country in the United States.

He watches: Trump meets with officials from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo after signing the peace agreement

The agreement reached between Tshisekedi and Kagame has been hailed by the White House as a “historic” deal brokered by Trump, which comes after months-long peace efforts by the United States and its partners, including the African Union and Qatar, and puts the final touches on an earlier agreement signed in June.

But the peace brokered by Trump is fraught with danger.

The Central African country of Congo has been witnessing decades of ongoing fighting with more than 100 armed groups, the strongest of which are the M23 rebels supported by Rwanda. The conflict has escalated this year, with the March 23 Movement taking control of the region’s two main cities, Goma and Bukavu, in an unprecedented advance, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that was already one of the largest in the world, with millions of people displaced.

“We are still at war”

Meanwhile, fighting continued this week in the strife-torn region, with reports of clashes between rebels and Congolese soldiers and allied forces. Trump, a Republican, has often said his mediation ended the conflict, which some people in Congo say is not true.

However, Kagame and Tshisekedi struck a hopeful tone as they signed the agreement.

“No one asked President Trump to take on this mission,” Kagame said. “Our region is far from the headlines.” “But when the president saw the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately seized it.”

“I believe that today is the beginning of a new path, a difficult path, yes. In fact, very difficult,” Tshisekedi said. “But this is the path in which peace will not be just a wish and aspiration, but a turning point.”

In fact, analysts say Thursday’s agreement is also not expected to lead to peace quickly. A separate peace agreement was signed between Congo and the M23 movement.

“We are still at war,” said Amani Chibalonza Edith, 32, a resident of Goma, the main city in eastern Congo that rebels seized early this year. “There can be no peace as long as the front lines remain active.”

But Trump predicted that by signing, the countries would leave behind “decades of violence and bloodshed” and “begin a new year of harmony and cooperation.”

“They spent a lot of time killing each other,” Trump said. “And now they will spend as much time embracing, holding hands, and taking advantage of the United States of America economically as they would any other country.”

Tshisekedi and Kagame did not shake hands and barely looked at each other during the roughly 50-minute signing ceremony.

Rare earth metals

Thursday’s agreement will also build on a previously agreed regional economic integration framework that officials said would set the terms of economic partnerships involving the three countries.

Trump also announced that the United States would sign bilateral agreements with Congo and Rwanda that would open new opportunities for the United States to access critical minerals — deals that would benefit the economies of all three countries.

Trump said: “And we will participate in sending some of our largest and greatest American companies to both countries.” “Everyone will make a lot of money,” he added.

The region, rich in vital minerals, has been of interest to Trump as Washington looks for ways to circumvent China to obtain rare minerals necessary to manufacture fighter jets, cell phones and more. China accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s rare earth mining and controls approximately 90% of the world’s rare earth processing.

He watches: Trump hosts Central Asian leaders as US seeks to defraud China over rare earth minerals

Trump hosted the leaders Thursday morning for one-on-one meetings at the White House as well as a three-way conversation before a signing ceremony at the Peace Institute in Washington, which the State Department announced Wednesday has been renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace.

Later Thursday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host an event bringing together U.S. business leaders and Congolese and Rwandan delegations to discuss potential investment opportunities in the areas of critical minerals, energy and tourism.

Continuing clashes

In eastern Congo, residents reported pockets of clashes and rebel advances in various areas. The March 23 Movement and the Congolese forces exchanged accusations of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreed upon earlier this year. Fighting also continued in the central plateaus across South Kivu province.

Difficulties in the aftermath of the conflict were exacerbated by cuts in US funding that had been crucial to supporting aid in the conflict.

In rebel-held Goma, which was a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts before the fighting escalated this year, the international airport was closed. Government services such as banking operations have not yet resumed, and residents have reported a rise in crime and commodity prices.

“We are waiting to see what will happen because until now, the two sides continue to clash and attack each other,” said Moise Boma, a 27-year-old student in the rebel-controlled city of Bukavu.

Meanwhile, both Congo and Rwanda described the US participation as a major step towards peace in the region.

“We need that attention from the administration to continue to get where we need to be,” McCullough said. “We are under no illusions that this will be easy. This is not the end but it is a good step.”

Cause of conflict

The conflict can be traced back to the aftermath of the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and one million ethnic Tutsis, in addition to moderate Hutu and Twa, who are the indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces responded, nearly two million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing retaliation.

The Rwandan authorities accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and claimed that members of the Congolese army protected them. They claimed that militias formed by a small percentage of Hutus posed a threat to Rwanda’s Tutsi population.

The Congolese government said there could be no lasting peace if Rwanda did not withdraw its supporting forces and other support to the M23 movement in the region. On the other hand, Rwanda conditioned a permanent ceasefire on Congo dissolving a local militia that it said was made up of Hutus and was fighting with the Congolese army.

UN experts said that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government soldiers are deployed in eastern Congo, working alongside the M23 movement. Rwanda denies such support, but says any action taken in the conflict is aimed at protecting its territory.

Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria, and Madani reported from Washington. Justin Kabumba contributed to this report from Goma, Congo.