Nobel Laureate Denis Mukwege Criticises US-Backed DR Congo Peace Deal
Last update: May 14, 2026
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Renowned Congolese doctor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege says the US-backed peace agreement in DR Congo appears more focused on mineral extraction than bringing lasting peace and security to the region.
Nobel Peace Prize-winning Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege has criticised the US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, saying it appears to prioritise access to minerals over the security of the Congolese people, cbinews.tv reports.
Eastern DR Congo has suffered decades of violence involving several armed groups battling for control of the region’s mineral-rich territory.
Among them is the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which seized large parts of the area last year.
In December, the United States brokered a peace agreement between DR Congo and Rwanda under the push of US President Donald Trump.
The deal included an economic arrangement aimed at giving American companies access to the DRC’s vast reserves of strategic minerals.
But speaking during a visit to Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday, Mukwege questioned the real impact of the agreement.
“The deal could be described as transactional at the outset, but today it looks more like predation,” he said.
According to him, minerals are already being exported while communities in eastern Congo continue to face insecurity and violence.
“We give, but in return we don’t receive the desired security,” Mukwege added.
The respected surgeon, who won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work helping survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones, warned that unfair agreements risk pushing Africa backwards.
He acknowledged that Africa must engage globally in business and trade, but stressed that deals should benefit ordinary Africans rather than powerful individuals.
“Unfortunately, sometimes these deals are struck with a focus on individual power rather than the common good. And that is where Africans lose out,” he said.
Mukwege also warned that exploitative partnerships resemble “the era of slavery and colonisation,” describing such arrangements as unacceptable.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who was also in Nairobi this week for a France-Africa summit, defended European countries against accusations of exploitation and instead pointed criticism toward China.
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