Public radio’s longest-running daily global news program.AboutContactDonateMeet the TeamPrivacyTerms of use©2026 The World from PRXPRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402.US brokers peace deal between DRC and RwandaDemocratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace deal brokered by the Trump administration. The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Michelle Gavin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former US ambassador to Botswana, about what the agreement means. Conflict & JusticeJuly 2, 2025Updated: July 1, 20255:40US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, stands with Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe and DRC’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner as they shake hands after signing a peace agreement in Washington, June 27, 2025.Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace deal last Friday that was brokered by the Trump administration and signed in Washington. If it succeeds, the agreement could help bring an end to a long and deadly conflict between the two countries.There are many caveats, however. Chief among them, the deal does not include the M23 rebel group that currently occupies areas of eastern DRC.The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Michelle Gavin, a senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and former US ambassador to Botswana, about the agreement and what it means.No, Rwanda and Congo were not at war in any kind of formal sense. So, it was really this proxy force that, yes, it’s backed by Rwanda, but frankly, it’s also backed by Uganda and it’s Congolese in origin. So, it’s not entirely a Rwandan creation. Its military advances have unquestionably been enabled by Rwandan support. So, I just don’t understand peace between who, right? If the M23 is not part of the deal and Rwandans don’t have to get out of the territory, what is this?Well, there’s no question that DRC is rich in critical minerals that are required in a lot of the technology we use today and certainly for a transition to a green economy. It’s unclear exactly what is on offer. A lot of Congo’s mines are already spoken for and there’s a tremendous amount of Chinese investment.A lot of the critical minerals the come out of Rwanda are not necessarily mined in Rwanda, so there have been questions about whether or not, eventually, this will legitimize Rwandan control over Congolese resources. It’s all very unclear exactly how the economic element of this is intended to work.Parts of this interview have been edited for length and clarity.