In a major diplomatic breakthrough, President Donald Trump on Thursday brokered a historic agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), effectively ending three decades of conflict between the neighboring nations.

The pact, officially named the Washington Accord, was signed at the Donald Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, where Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi declared that the long-standing hostilities between their countries had come to an end.

The signing followed high-level meetings at the White House, where Trump held separate and joint discussions with both leaders to finalize terms aimed at resolving tensions and fostering trust.

Under the accord, Rwanda has committed to ending support for armed groups operating inside Congo, while both nations pledged to refrain from any military action against each other.

The United States also announced plans to invest in mineral exploration and development projects across both countries, considered crucial for long-term regional stability.

“Today, the world has witnessed another major conflict resolved,” President Trump said at the ceremony. “This agreement opens the door to peace, prosperity, and opportunity for the people of Rwanda and Congo.”

Rwandan President Kagame described the deal as historic, noting that previous international efforts had failed to bridge the divide. “For 30 years, no one was able to end this conflict. Many nations tried to mediate but did not succeed,” he said. “President Donald Trump played a neutral and decisive role in helping us achieve peace. If this agreement fails, the responsibility will be ours — not his.”

Congo’s President Tshisekedi echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the Washington Accord would bring lasting benefits to the entire Great Lakes region. “We have signed this peace agreement for the future of our people,” he said.

“I thank President Trump and his administration for their support. This accord will lead to greater stability and prosperity throughout the region.”

Leaders and senior officials from several African nations attended the ceremony and congratulated both countries on what they called a landmark step toward lasting peace.

• President Trump continuing to evaluate countries: Kristi Noem.
• Homeland Security official cites unstable govts’ inability to vet.
• Expansion of list to mark further escalation of migration measures.

The US plans to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban to more than 30, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday.

Noem, in an interview on Fox News‘ “The Ingraham Angle,” was asked to confirm whether the administration of President Donald Trump would be increasing the number of countries on the travel ban list to 32.

“I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.

Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the US and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travellers.

Noem did not specify which countries would be added to the list.

“If they don’t have a stable government there, if they don’t have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the US?” said Noem.

Reuters previously reported that the Trump administration was considering banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the US, according to an internal State Department cable.

An expansion of the list would mark a further escalation of migration measures the administration has taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last week.

Investigators say the shooting was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement program under which Trump administration officials have argued there was insufficient vetting.

Days after the shooting, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” although he did not identify any by name or define “third-world countries.”

Prior to that, officials from the Department of Homeland Security said Trump had ordered a widespread review of asylum cases approved under the administration of his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden and Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritised immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.

His administration has frequently highlighted the deportation push, but until now it has put less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.

• Putin’s visit aims to boost trade amid Western sanctions.
• India balances ties with Russia and US amid trade talks.
• Modi, Putin to discuss defence, oil, nuclear energy today.

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, aiming to boost trade with the top buyer of Russia’s arms and seaborne oil as Western sanctions squeeze their decades-old ties.

Putin is on his first visit to India in four years at a time when New Delhi is engaged in talks with the US for a trade deal to cut punitive tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on its goods over India’s Russian oil purchases.

Moscow has been India’s top arms supplier for decades and has said that it wants to import more Indian goods in an effort to grow trade to $100 billion by 2030 that so far has been skewed in its favour due to New Delhi’s energy imports.

Since European countries cut back their reliance on Russian energy after Russia invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago, India has ramped up its purchases of discounted Russian crude.

“India faces a conundrum; by taking steps to strengthen ties with Moscow or Washington, New Delhi risks setting back ties with the other,” Michael Kugelman, senior fellow at Washington’s Atlantic Council think tank, wrote in Foreign Policy magazine this week.

Modi and Putin are also expected to discuss other topics including labour and civil nuclear energy, with the sides expected to announce new agreements to showcase the resilience of their relations.

Hugs and handshakes

The Indian leader received Putin with a hug and handshake as he walked down the red carpet after arriving at an airport near New Delhi on Thursday for the two-day visit. Modi later hosted the Russian president for a private dinner at his residence.

A business and government delegation has accompanied Putin for the visit, including his defence minister, Andrei Belousov, who held talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday.

Belousov “stated that the Russian defence industry is ready to support India towards becoming self-reliant in the field of defence production,” India’s defence ministry said after the talks.

Putin arrived in India a day after holding talks with Trump’s top envoys on a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, but they did not reach a compromise.

India has resisted condemning Russia over the war and called for peace through dialogue and diplomacy, while saying that its ties with Moscow were being unfairly targeted by Western nations that continue to do business with Moscow when it is in their interest.