President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expressed deep gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in addressing major challenges facing Africa, especially those impacting his own country.
He made these remarks on Sunday, July 13, 2025, while receiving a delegation of American pastors from the White House’s Faith Bureau, according to the DRC presidency.
The delegation was led by Pastor Travis Johnson, Deputy Director of the White House Faith Bureau.
The pastors praised the peace agreement signed between the DRC and Rwanda, which they said was achieved thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the mediation of the United States.
In his speech, Pastor Travis Johnson said:
“We stand in prayer with the people of Congo, praying that peace spreads throughout the country.”
The American pastors presented Tshisekedi with several symbolic gifts, including an official U.S. presidential emblem representing the legacy of faith in God.
They also gave him a letter written by an orphan from Goma (North Kivu) and a Bible as a symbol of peace.
Pastor Jacques Kambala, Deputy Director of CICM (Cell for Innovation and Change of Mentalities) within the Congolese Presidency, who was also part of the visit’s organizing committee, expressed gratitude for the event and its message to the nation’s leaders.
He called on Congolese citizens to continue praying and working together to sustain peace in their country, which remains threatened by ongoing conflicts in the eastern regions.
He added:
“We must not be discouraged by critics who oppose the peace deal, as it aims to dismantle harmful political ideologies, associations, and international groups that have long caused suffering for our people in pursuit of selfish interests.”
The pastors also organized an international prayer gathering at the Palais du Peuple (Parliament building), bringing together religious leaders from both the U.S. and the DRC.
The event featured prayers, worship songs, messages of hope, warnings, and calls for unity and cooperation between the people of Congo and the United States.
