US President Donald Trump on Friday took credit for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Rwanda — and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
The warring African nations on Wednesday said in a joint statement that they had initialed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the eastern DR Congo, to be formally signed in the US capital this week.
“This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, confirming the breakthrough.
However, his triumphant tone darkened as he complained that he had been overlooked by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his mediating role in conflicts between India and Pakistan, as well as Serbia and Kosovo.
He also demanded credit for “keeping peace” between Egypt and Ethiopia and brokering the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements aiming to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
Trump campaigned for office as a “peacemaker” who would use his negotiating skills to quickly end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, although both conflicts are still raging five months into his presidency. Indian officials have denied that he had any role in its ceasefire with Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan on Friday said it would formally recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize next year “in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during the recent conflict.
However, Trump’s claims for the Abraham Accords being able to “unify the Middle East” have yet to be realized, with war breaking out between Israel and Iran, and no end in sight to the conflict in Gaza.
Critics said that Trump greatly exaggerated the significance of the 2020 Serbia-Kosovo agreements, which were statements of intent that were thin on details and quickly unraveled.
The president said officials from DR Congo and Rwanda would be in Washington tomorrow for the signing, although their joint statement said they would put pen to paper on June 27.
The resource-rich eastern DR Congo, which borders Rwanda, has been plagued by violence for three decades, with a resurgence since the anti-government M23 armed group went on a renewed offensive at the end of 2021.
The deal — which builds on a declaration of principles signed in April — was reached during three days of talks between the neighbors in Washington, they said.
Trump has received multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations from supporters and lawmakers over the years.
He has made no secret of his irritation at missing out on the prestigious award, bringing it up as recently as February during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Then-US president Barack Obama won the prize soon after taking office in 2009, and Trump complained during his election campaign last year that his Democratic predecessor was not worthy of the honor.
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