US President Donald Trump on Friday took credit for brokering a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda while also expressing frustration at not receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for his various diplomatic efforts.
Earlier this week, the two African nations announced in a joint statement that they had initialled a deal aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The formal signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Washington next week.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump celebrated the breakthrough, calling it “a great day for Africa and, quite frankly, a great day for the world!” However, his celebratory message soon turned into a grievance as he criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee for failing to honour his past mediation efforts.
Trump insisted that he deserved recognition for facilitating dialogue between India and Pakistan, as well as Serbia and Kosovo. He also cited his role in the Abraham Accords, which aimed to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab states, and claimed credit for preventing conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia.
Despite his assertions, Indian officials have previously stated that Trump played no part in brokering their ceasefire with Pakistan. Likewise, the Serbia-Kosovo agreements signed in 2020 were largely symbolic and lacked substantive commitments, quickly falling apart afterwards.
Trump’s claims that the Abraham Accords would “unify the Middle East” have also been undermined by ongoing conflicts, including the continuing war in Gaza and recent hostilities between Israel and Iran.
The president indicated that Congolese and Rwandan representatives would attend the signing in Washington on Monday, though their joint statement scheduled the signing for June 27.
Eastern DR Congo, a region rich in natural resources, has faced persistent violence for the past 30 years. The conflict escalated again at the end of 2021 when the M23 rebel group launched renewed attacks against the government. The agreement, which builds on principles established in April, was reached after three days of negotiations hosted in Washington.
Trump has frequently highlighted his multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, often voicing his frustration at being passed over for the honour.
He recently revisited the topic during a February meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. By contrast, former President Barack Obama was awarded the prize shortly after taking office in 2009, a decision Trump has repeatedly criticised during his 2024 campaign.
