Trump Hails Congo-Rwanda Peace Push, Says Nobel Prize Still Eludes Him

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday claimed credit for brokering a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda — and used the occasion to criticize the Nobel Peace Prize committee for repeatedly passing him over.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump celebrated the breakthrough as “a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!” after the two Central African nations announced they had initialed an agreement to end hostilities in eastern DRC. The formal signing is expected to take place in Washington on June 27.

However, Trump’s celebratory message quickly shifted into a grievance-filled complaint about his lack of recognition from the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He cited his claimed role in defusing tensions between India and Pakistan, as well as the 2020 Serbia-Kosovo talks, and criticized the committee for not awarding him the prize.

Trump also demanded credit for mediating the Abraham Accords — normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states — and for what he described as efforts to “keep peace” between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile dam dispute.

Despite his claims, many of Trump’s touted diplomatic achievements have faced scrutiny. Indian officials have publicly denied any U.S. role in the 2021 ceasefire with Pakistan. The Serbia-Kosovo agreements signed under his administration were largely symbolic and lacked lasting impact, quickly falling apart. And while the Abraham Accords did normalize relations between some states, hopes that they would “unify the Middle East” have since been dampened by renewed conflict — particularly the ongoing war between Israel and Iran and the Gaza crisis.

Trump, who has styled himself as a global dealmaker, has long sought the Nobel Peace Prize and frequently complains about its past recipients — notably former President Barack Obama, who received the award in 2009 early in his presidency. Trump raised the issue again as recently as February in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Congo-Rwanda agreement, reached after three days of talks in Washington, builds on an earlier declaration of principles signed in April. Eastern DRC has been mired in conflict for decades, with violence escalating again after the resurgence of the M23 rebel group in late 2021. The joint statement by the two nations offered hope for de-escalation in a region plagued by instability.

Still, critics note that while the signing would mark a diplomatic milestone, the success of the deal will depend on its implementation — a challenge that has repeatedly hindered past peace efforts in the region.