The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda sign a peace deal

For nearly 30 years a country in central Africa, called the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been affected by serious fighting and war.

This has made life very hard for millions of people, including children who have had to leave their homes or stop going to school and many lives have been lost.

Recently, some of this fighting has involved a neighbouring country called Rwanda.

But now, there are hopes for peace.

What is the Democratic Republic of Congo like?

Democratic Republic of Congo is a huge country - about ten times bigger than the UK, with a population of over 100 million people.

The country has many rivers and waterfalls, including the Congo River, which is very important for travel and fishing.

The DRC is also full of amazing wildlife and nature, including the Congo Basin, the world's second largest rainforest. It's home to mountain gorillas, elephants, and many animals and birds that don't exist anywhere else on Earth.

The rainforest is often called 'the lungs of Africa', because of the oxygen the trees release into the air.

The country is also known for rare materials, which are mined and often used in technology such as mobile phones.

What is Rwanda like?

Rwanda is a small country in central Africa, right next to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is much smaller than DR Congo - about the size of Wales - and has around 14 million people living there.

Rwanda is often called the 'Land of a Thousand Hills' because it has many green, rolling hills and beautiful mountains. The country is famous for its mountain gorillas, which live in the forests along the border with DR Congo and Uganda. Many people visit Rwanda to see these amazing animals in the wild.

Rwanda has had a difficult past with lots of fighting and violence, but in recent years the country has worked to rebuild and to become safer for the people living there.

Why has there been fighting between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo?

DR Congo and Rwanda have had problems for many years.

In eastern DR Congo, a rebel group called M23 has been fighting the country's government. DR Congo says that Rwanda is helping this group by giving them weapons and support, but Rwanda says this is not true.

Materials such as coltan and manganese are mined in the DRC. They are expensive rare metals used to make mobile phones and computers. Criminal organisations and armed groups often try and gain control of these mining operations because of the money to be made from minerals found there

The rare materials found in the DRC are also a source of fighting.

The country has rich natural resources, such as diamonds, gold, copper, coltan and cobalt (which is mined for use in batteries for things like phones and electric cars).

These materials are valuable and different groups want to control these resources.

Efforts to find peace

The deal to achieve peace is being helped by two other countries, the United States and Qatar.

The United States wants to invest money in the area because of the valuable minerals. In return, it hopes the countries will work together to keep the region safe and peaceful, after many years of fighting over resources there.

A peace deal is a very important step, and although there are still many questions about how it will work, it is the first sign of hope for many years.

What happens now?

Now, the two countries have signed a peace deal, an agreement which people hope could help to stop the fighting and help people live safely again.

The deal was signed in Washington in the US. After the signing, President Donald Trump called the peace treaty "a glorious triumph"

Donald Trump with officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda after the deal has been signed