Browsing: US interests in Africa

• M23 rebels have dismissed the Congo-Rwanda peace agreement brokered by Trump as irrelevant to their cause.
• Currently, thousands of Rwandan troops remain in Congo, and roughly seven million Congolese remain displaced.
• For Trump to declare “peace” in such conditions feels premature at best, opportunistic at worst.

Last week, the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement to end decades of bloodshed in eastern Congo. With Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump present at the signing ceremony in Washington, the moment was framed by the administration as a landmark victory for peace and diplomacy.

“Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end,” Trump stated. “A new chapter of hope and opportunity, harmony, prosperity and peace.”

The optics were impeccable. But scratch beneath the surface, and a more complex narrative emerges — one that raises the question: Is the Congo-Rwanda peace …

• If new Congo-Rwanda agreement holds, U.S. companies see a rare window of opportunity to invest in high-risk, high-reward environments.
• Infrastructure investments in roads, rail, and energy grids to support mineral extraction will also boost U.S. influence in Central Africa, a region where China rules.
• This treaty may offer the U.S. higher leverage in shaping future mineral licensing —potentially marginalizing China firms or forcing more competitive tendering that favors.

The newly signed peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, brokered by the United States and sealed beneath a portrait of Colin Powell at the State Department, marks more than just a diplomatic win for Washington. It’s a calculated geopolitical maneuver — one that deftly positions the U.S. as a key beneficiary of stability in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

This treaty, hailed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “an important moment after 30 years …

• While Donald Trump is retreating from the global stage, Bill Gates is doubling down on his investment in Africa’s future.
• Gates announced he would give away all his wealth — about $200Bn by 2045 — with Africa as the primary beneficiary.
• Trump’s “America First” doctrine has seen authorities in Washington slash funding to global health initiatives, including vital HIV/AIDS programs in Africa.

Two American billionaires — both synonymous with influence, power, and global recognition — now find themselves on divergent paths as far as channeling aid to Africa is concerned. While one is retreating from the global stage, the other is doubling down on his investment in humanity’s future — with Africa at the heart of it.

Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates recently stood before an audience at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, not to pitch software, but to share a vision rooted in compassion and long-term …