US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Friday hailed President Donald Trump’s diplomatic approach to global conflicts, crediting his leadership for breakthroughs in some of the world’s most complex conflicts.“Whether it’s been in Ukraine and Russia, whether it’s been Pakistan-India, whether it’s been Iran and Israel, and in the continent of Africa, President Trump’s priority has been on peace and today we see this come to fruition,” Rubio said at the White House.Rubio’s praise is part of a larger pattern of the current administration’s efforts to end global conflicts, including a claimed truce between India and Pakistan and reduced tensions in the Middle East, all under what Rubio describes as Trump’s “peace-first” approach.His remarks came during a media briefing with Trump and Vice President JD Vance following the signing of a landmark peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of Africa’s deadliest and most complex conflicts in recent decades.The deal, signed in Washington on Friday, commits both nations to end support for armed rebel groups, notably the M23 and FDLR militias, and sets a timeline for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo. It also establishes a joint security coordination body and lays the groundwork for regional economic cooperation.Trump, who welcomed the foreign ministers of Rwanda and DRC to the White House, called it “a wonderful day,” adding, “Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity.”The conflict had escalated earlier this year after M23 rebels, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, captured swathes of territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo. While Rwanda has denied direct involvement, the deal now calls for the “neutralization” of the FDLR, a Hutu rebel group with links to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.Rwandan foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said ending support for Hutu militants should be the “first order of business,” while his Congolese counterpart Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said the deal offers “a rare chance to turn the page.”Trump also emphasized the strategic benefits to the US, noting it would gain “a lot of mineral rights from the Congo,” a region rich in cobalt and lithium.The agreement drew wide but not universal praise.Bintu Keita, a senior UN official in the DRC, said it “marks a decisive step toward peace and stability,” while Germany hailed the “excellent news” and called for implementation.UN envoy Bintou Keita called the deal “a decisive step toward peace,” though Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege warned it risked rewarding “aggression” and legitimizing “plunder” of Congolese resources.
