Congolese dispute Trump’s claim that he ended war in their nation

The war in eastern Congo is among the ones President Trump claims he has stopped, after brokering a peace deal between Congo and Rwanda in June. But residents, conflict researchers and others say that’s not true.

- CHINEDU ASADU AND JUSTIN KABUMBA

A CONGOLESE soldier in Oicha, North Kivu province, where residents say they are losing hope for peace.

Trump on Monday repeated claims that he ended the decades-long conflict, describing Congo as the “darkest, deepest” part of Africa. “For 35 years, it was a vicious war. Nine million people were killed with machetes. I stopped it. ... I got it stopped and saved lots of lives,” he asserted.

The Associated Press previously fact-checked Trump's claim and found that the war was far from over. Now residents report clashes in several hot spots, often between the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who seized key cities this year and militia fighting alongside Congolese forces.

‘A final peace deal between Congo and the rebels, facilitated by Qatar, appears to have stalled. Each side has accused the other of violating peace terms.

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

People are still being displaced