Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the press at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, focusing on U.S. engagement with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a recent agreement aimed at ending conflict in the region.
Rubio emphasized that U.S. involvement with the DRC extends beyond conflict resolution. "We want a strong U.S. partnership with the Democratic Republic of Congo that extends beyond simply starting a war. We want to also be a part of helping build up long-term security and stability, and we also want to be involved in helping bring – build up mutual prosperity. We want the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a rich and prosperous country, and we want to do it in partnership with them in a way that’s mutually beneficial, and that’s what we hope to build on today. But obviously, it starts with security," he said.
When asked about expectations for peace among people in eastern DRC, Rubio noted that progress depends on implementing agreements already made. "Well, we have an agreement, and now the agreement has to be lived up to, now the agreement has to be implemented. You can sign papers, you can sign documents, but you have to comply. Like any war, like any conflict, there’s going to be ups and downs, and there’s going to be stops and starts, and there are going to be days where we wish progress was faster than it was. We’re living through that now in Gaza. We’ve lived through it in other places," Rubio stated.
He added: "But we now have a commitment at the highest levels of both governments from their heads of state on very specific things that will happen. Now we have to make sure those things happen, and we’ll be engaged every step of the way."
The Secretary concluded by reaffirming continued U.S. engagement as implementation moves forward.
