GOMA – U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that he halted the conflict in eastern Congo after facilitating a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda in June. However, locals, conflict analysts, and others disagree with this assertion.

On Monday, Trump reiterated his statement regarding the end of the long-standing conflict, referring to Congo as the “darkest, deepest” part of Africa. He claimed, “For 35 years, it was a brutal war. Nine million people were killed with machetes. I stopped it. … I got it stopped and saved lots of lives.”

The Associated Press has previously investigated Trump’s statement and found the conflict to be ongoing. Currently, residents are witnessing clashes in several regions, primarily between the Rwanda-supported M23 rebels, who captured key cities earlier this year, and militias fighting alongside Congolese forces.

A comprehensive peace agreement between Congo and the rebels, which was mediated by Qatar, seems to have hit a deadlock. Both parties are accusing each other of breaching peace terms.

Here’s what people say about Trump’s latest claim:

An inspector says people are still being displaced

The human rights inspector for South Kivu province’s Kabare territory, Ciruza Mushenzi Dieudonné, reported that residents of Bugobe, Cirunga, Kagami, and Bushwira are still fleeing fights between the M23 rebels and the Wazalendo militia.

Dieudonné stated, “The issue now is the lack of humanitarian aid, hospitals only function during the daytime, and health professionals have to find safe shelters elsewhere at night to avoid the ongoing violence.”

Amnesty International says clashes reported this week

Christian Rumu with Amnesty International said the rights group learned of clashes during the past 24 hours in various locations. “It is far from the reality to say that he has ended the war,” he said of Trump.

“The U.S. president is misguided in his assessment because people on the ground continue to experience grave human rights violations, and some of these amount to crimes against humanity,” Rumu said, urging Trump to speed up the peace process.

A student says fighting has continued

Amani Safari, a student in Goma, the city first seized by the M23 and most affected by the fighting, said nothing has changed since the peace deal was signed in June.

“Unfortunately, when you look at this agreement, there are no binding sanctions against the two countries that violate it,” Safari said. “The United States only sees American interests.”

An activist in Goma says Trump needs to do more

Espoir Muhinuka, a activist in Goma, said there is no sign the war will end soon and urged Trump to take steps to achieve the permanent ceasefire the peace deal provided for.

“If this does not happen, it would deceive all of humanity,” Muhinuka said.

Civil society leader says residents are losing hope of peace

The president of civil society in North Kivu province, John Banyene, said he and other residents are losing hope of permanent peace.

“The killings, the displacement of the population and the clashes continue, therefore, we are still in disarray,” Banyene said. “We, as civil society, encourage this dialogue, but it drags on.”

Analyst says peace efforts appear to have stalled

Christian Moleka, a Congo-based political analyst, said the peace deal brokered by Trump initially helped to facilitate the peace process, but Congo and the M23 missed a deadline to sign a final peace agreement.

“For a conflict that combines the complexities of the structural weaknesses of the Congolese state, local identity and land conflicts, and the fallout of crises in neighboring countries … Trump’s approach may appear as a truce rather than a definitive settlement,” Moleka said.

___

Asadu reported from Dakar, Senegal. Janvier Barhahiga in Bukavu, Congo contributed.