Donald Trump’s return to the United States of America presidency (since January 2025) and his transactional approach to international relations, which prioritizes the direct interests of the United States at all costs, introduce great uncertainty not only in the implementation of the Washington agreements of December 5, 2025, signed between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, but also, given the excessive position he is imposing, even in violation of international law. Today, we must ask ourselves whether the DRC has not thrown itself into the lion’s den by seeking Donald Trump’s help. The American president favors economic agreements at the expense of strict respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, thus threatening the sustainability of peace. Control of strategic resources now determines who will dominate the global economy in the 21st century. And we are witnessing an economic war between the United States and China. Trump is fighting to maintain the United States’ position of global greatness, and he can do whatever he wants. He does what he wants. No one stops him, and international institutions remain silent.
- Trump and international law
The foreign policy of Trump’s second term (since 2025) is characterized by:
- Contempt for international law:
During a two-hour conversation with four journalists from the American national daily newspaper in the Oval Office, he openly stated that he did not need international law. He is limited only by his own morality (1). And that is how he behaves. He treats treaties like commercial contracts that he can break or renegotiate if the “deal” no longer suits him.
International law becomes a transactional playground rather than a framework of stable rules.
Someone said, “It took him only a year to sign the death warrant of international law, thus reestablishing colonization. From now on, it is the law of the strongest that reigns supreme. So he does what he wants, with one designated adversary: China. And he has only one goal: to stifle China by controlling, at all costs, the oil and minerals necessary for its industry. After Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, which president will be overthrown next? Iran? Does this escalation threaten global security? Who can curb Donald Trump’s excesses and hegemonic ambitions?…” (2).
Donald Trump has stated that he wants to control Gaza and turn it into the French Riviera of the Middle East (3). It would be magnificent, he adds. He has decided to recolonize territories with more than 20 million inhabitants, dozens of kilometers from his home. And he says so without embarrassment. To do this, the population will be deported to Egypt and Jordan. For him, there will be no more Palestinians in Gaza, but Egypt and Jordan will have to take them in. Trump therefore plans to deport and drive the indigenous populations from their homes, forcing them to wander elsewhere so that America can seize their land.
- Withdrawal from multilateralism
His policy is characterized by mistrust of international organizations, which he perceives as ineffective or contrary to American interests.
Rather than relying on international mechanisms (the UN, traditional regional mediation), he favors direct, bilateral, or trilateral agreements focused on American interests (resources, economy). Failing that, he resorts to threats, sanctions, and/or force. He wants to create a peace council to replace the United Nations. The Washington agreements, for example, were signed as part of a “Trump” initiative (Institute for Peace) rather than through the UN Security Council, and he has withdrawn from many United Nations bodies.
- Selective support:
a strongly pro-Israel stance, but potential instability in other regions, particularly the Great Lakes, if economic gains do not follow.
And what about Africa in all this? Is it aware of the stakes, or will it once again be the scapegoat for the appetites of the major powers that are shamelessly eyeing its riches? Should the US strikes on Nigeria and their involvement in the conflict in eastern DRC continue to be seen as isolated incidents or as clear threats?
In light of the above, should Congo, a vast but fragile country in every other respect, not fear exposing itself to such a predator? Has it not reduced itself to easy prey?
- Impact on the Washington Agreements (DRC-Rwanda)
The agreements signed in December 2025 aimed to establish lasting peace, security, and economic cooperation. The impact of the Trump administration could be twofold:
- Economic priority over peace: the Washington agreements include a “strategic partnership” heavily focused on critical minerals. Trump could push to maximize US exploitation, relegating human rights monitoring and demilitarization of eastern DRC to the background.
- Unpredictability of the “Pax Americana”: if security commitments (international humanitarian law) are not deemed sufficiently profitable, US support for regional stability could falter, which could jeopardize the compromises between Kinshasa and Kigali. This attempt at a peace “agreement” targets economic warfare, making the agreement extremely dependent on Trump’s willingness to maintain this transactional framework.
In summary: Trump’s behavior risks turning peace agreements into mere commercial transactions over resources, making lasting stability very fragile. And his highly targeted approach to strategic minerals could turn the region into a battleground for direct competition with China.
With Trump, the main principles of international law on justice, the International Court of Justice, and international cooperation are dead. This return to the law of the jungle is worrying. Africa risks being recolonized, this time with even more violence and inhumanity. Trump’s behavior could encourage other major nations, envious of the wealth of others, to do the same. And it is not only Congo, but all of Africa that is fragile. African leaders must unite to avert the danger. They must form regional alliances. This is a very critical moment. They must think about how to defend themselves and protect their interests against predators and prepare for the future.
Africa risks being recolonized, this time with even more violence and inhumanity. Trump’s behavior could encourage other major nations, envious of the wealth of others, to do the same. And it is not only Congo, but all of Africa that is fragile. African leaders must unite to avert the danger. They must form regional alliances. This is a very critical moment. They must think about how to defend themselves and protect their interests against predators and prepare for the future.
Sources:
- France Info television (TF1 Info) on January 9, 2026: interview in New York on Wednesday, January 7
- Alain FOKA (Cameroonian journalist and producer): The Chronicle: Trump—a genius, a megalomaniac, or a madman?
- Le Monde newspaper (February 5): Donald Trump claims that the US will take control of the Gaza Strip.
Berlaine KOLA, ICM
