US ‘peace’ in Doha costs extraction rights attached
(MENAFN) On July 19 in Doha, representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) signed a ‘Declaration of Principles’ for peace, witnessed by US and Qatari diplomats. The agreement, though vague in detail, was quickly celebrated by US President Donald Trump’s team as a diplomatic win. Trump’s Africa adviser, Massad Boulos, emphasized the importance of reaffirming state control over territories held by rebels, though how this will be implemented remains uncertain.
For Trump, the deal reinforced his image as a dealmaker, similar to his previous high-profile moves in the Middle East. However, beneath the optimistic headlines lies a more complex reality. The DR Congo is still mired in overlapping conflicts involving over 120 armed groups in its eastern provinces. Expecting a ceasefire negotiated far from the region to end decades of violence in this resource-rich area is either naïve or intentionally misleading.
The US’s involvement under Trump raises concerns. While efforts to mediate peace in neglected war zones deserve attention, the Trump administration’s sudden interest in the DR Congo appears motivated more by economic gain than by humanitarian or regional stability concerns. Trump himself never visited Africa during his presidency and has been criticized for his dismissive attitude toward the continent. Notably, in 2018, he referred to several African countries as “s**thole countries,” sparking widespread outrage.
More recently, at a White House luncheon with African presidents, Trump’s impatience was evident. Interrupting Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Trump brusquely asked for his “name and country” and suggested speeding up the meeting, a moment widely seen as disrespectful and indicative of Trump’s transactional approach to Africa and its leaders.
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