President Donald Trump’s Senior Advisor on African Affairs, Massad Boulos, has said that the U.S. President wants the ongoing conflicts in Eastern Congo and the Great Lakes Region to end as soon as possible, in favor of lasting peace.
On Tuesday, Boulos met President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro in Kigali, where they discussed a range of issues, including security cooperation and economic collaboration.
According to a statement from the Office of the President, the talks aimed at strengthening joint efforts for sustainable peace and attracting U.S. investment to Rwanda and the region.
In a media briefing at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Boulos explained that his visit formed part of a broader peace initiative, noting that Trump’s leadership supports ending the decades-long instability.
“We had fruitful discussions with President Kagame about working closely together to achieve peace in the region,” Boulos said. “President Trump wants to see this conflict resolved quickly. He is a man of peace who understands the suffering of people affected by violence for more than 30 years.”
Before arriving in Rwanda, Boulos met President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC, with whom the U.S. has opened talks on a potential minerals-for-security agreement. The proposed deal would give the United States access to Congo’s vast reserves of cobalt, lithium, and uranium, in exchange for support in dealing with insecurity—particularly in the eastern part of the country, where the M23 rebel group have seized Goma and Bukavu, the largest cities in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces respectively.
The ongoing conflict in Eastern DRC has intensified tensions in the region. The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels—a claim Kigali denies.
In late 2023, the United States imposed sanctions on several senior Rwandan military officials, citing their alleged involvement in supporting rebel operations in North Kivu.
Boulos, however, clarified that his visit to Rwanda was not intended to exert pressure, but rather to promote collaboration for long-term peace.
“We are here because we believe in the vision Rwanda has for economic growth and stability,” he said. “There are many American companies investing here, and it is in our mutual interest to ensure peace across the region.”
He added that working together to resolve the DRC conflict would unlock the region’s potential, ensuring that its people can benefit from peace and prosperity.
“These efforts, along with partnerships like the proposed U.S.-DRC minerals deal, show that there is a path forward—one rooted in cooperation, not confrontation,” Boulos concluded.
