Congolese authorities want to enter into an agreement with the Trump administration on the country’s mining resources to secure US support in the fight between the M23 rebels leading the attack in eastern Congo and the Rwandan forces. Preliminary debates have begun, but details of the settlement remain very vague.
The United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Dr. Congo or DRC) could soon begin formal negotiations on important mineral trade. The Congolese President was confirmed to France 24 that the debate was underway. This is access to the vast Central African nation of the United States’ mineral resources, with the world’s largest reserves of cobalt, coltan, copper and lithium, and is essential for cutting-edge technologies in defense, energy transition and other sectors.
The US State Department last week said it was open to Dr. Congo’s mining partnership, confirming that preliminary debate has begun.
Congolese authorities want to support the M23 rebels and block nearby Rwanda, accused of looting their country of mineral resources. Since January, armed groups have led massive attacks in eastern Congo, with the Congolese forces putting considerable pressure on them.
Congo’s offer to the US Secretary of State
The prospects for the mineral contract were first outlined in a February 22 interview with the New York Times by Congolese President Felix Zisekedi. In his first interview since the start of the 2025 M23 attack, Tshisekedi “provided the US and Europe with his country’s vast mineral wealth stake, a sector currently controlled by China,” the US reported.
The Congolese president “fixed hopes for Western pressure on Rwanda,” calculating that the deal could bring security and stability to his country, the report said. Tshisekedi also told The New York Times that the Trump administration had “already interested in a transaction that would ensure a strategic mineral flow directly from the Congo.”
The interview was issued the day after a US consulting firm commissioned by Congolese senator and Tsushisekedi supporter Pierre Kanda Karanbai, and sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, providing a “strategic partnership” between the two countries. The letter proposed access to Congo’s minerals, operational control of deep sea ports that serve as export hubs, and establishment of joint strategic mineral reserves.
In return, the United States will “train and equip Congolese troops to protect mineral supply routes from foreign-supported extremist groups. The strengthened military cooperation has even been replaced by this letter called “inefficient UN peacekeeping operations” of Central African countries.
“Until we have the evidence to the contrary, this is not an official plan,” explained Jason K. Stearns, a leading expert at Dr. Congo. “Some points, such as the deployment of US forces on the ground, are unrealistic, which goes against the promise of bringing back (President) Donald Trump’s soldiers. But what’s certain is that the Congolese forces are in a vulnerable position in the east and the authorities are counting largely on international pressure, especially from the US, to increase pressure on Rwanda.”
Seeking transparency
The possibility of the US-DR Congo contract raises several questions. “This is a symptom of the governance problem in our country,” said Jean Pierre Okenda, executive director of Congolese NGOs and executive director of Lacentiner des Russerus Natureles. Okenda, a mining sector expert, expressed concern that negotiations decided by Dr. Congo’s security emergency could not benefit the Congo’s economy. “Some people here think that the authorities are looking for more than anything to protect their strength. Such contracts should not be negotiated in backhanded transactions, but should be brought to Congress as they could have a significant impact on the population,” he said.
Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya Katenbwe last week claimed that Dr. Congo was simply aiming to diversify its partners. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Congolese president rebutted the idea that Dr. Congo is ready to trade minerals for security support. “Setting the record straight: President Tshisekedi invites the US, who is procuring strategic raw materials from Runga. This is the material that was plundered from the DRC and smuggled into Rwanda while our population was being slaughtered, and we buy it directly from our legitimate owners.
When contacted by France 24, Salama argued that Senator Karanbai’s move was a “personal initiative.” “We are trying to stop the predation of Rwandan resources,” she explained, embracing hope that a strategic agreement with the US could “stop the war.”
The West Hardening towards Rwanda
Salama also revealed that the initiative was specifically directed “because what was hidden and raised for 30 years has only been revealed by the Donald Trump administration.” This was a reference to US sanctions on February 20th, which announced on Rwanda Regional Integrated State Minister James Kabalebe and M23 Rebellion spokesman Lawrence Cannuca.
“It’s clear that recent US sanctions are seen as an important step,” Okenda explained. “This is the first time that a Rwandan minister has been directly targeted. What’s more, this is just one stage of sanctions that Washington can impose against Rwanda,” she pointed out.
In that statement, the US Treasury described Kabarebe as “a contact with the Rwandan government’s M23.” He explained that “we have adjusted the export of minerals extracted from DRC mining sites for the final export from Rwanda.”
According to UN experts, the M23 collects significant taxes on mining activities, generating around $800,000 a month in the Rubaya region of North Kivu, which has been controlled since May 2024.
On February 21, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution “strongly condemning” the attack on Dr. Congo’s M23 and the progress made in North Kivu with the support of the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF).
Reading the Moan Security Council calls for Rwanda to withdraw its troops from eastern Congo
Snubs to China
Congo’s appeal for western mining investment is considered a snub to China. China controls 75-80% of Dr. Congo’s mining operations, particularly in the copper and cobalt sector.
But this does not necessarily mean that the Congolese president made a diplomatic U-turn, according to Sterns. “Félix Tshisekedi has always tended to look westward, and he spent most of his life in Belgium and was supported by the US in the 2018 conflict election,” he pointed out.
Since taking power, the Congolese president has made two bilateral visits to China, with the aim of developing a partnership with Beijing. In January 2024, he concluded renegotiation of a major mining contract between the DRC and a Chinese consortium called “The Contract of the Centurt.”
Initially, the renegotiations signed in 2008 under then-President Joseph Kabila were aimed at providing additional benefits to the DRC. However, it failed to appease many Congoes and was criticized by NGOs and civil society groups. “China does not respect some of the 2008 agreement on infrastructure investment. On the ground, there is no actual involvement with the local community, and Chinese companies do not consider respect for workers’ rights or the environment,” Okenda said. “Today, many of these workers think it’s better to deal with the United States correctly or wrongly.”
American Mirage?
Although controversial, inspired by the fact that the Ukraine and US mining contracts have not yet been signed, Congolese counterparts have several attractions in Washington, DC. He nods to Trump’s “America First” agenda and counters the interests of his rival, China.
However, Okenda warns that such projects pose a major challenge in operational terms. “Most of the mining concessions have already been handed over to private companies in the country’s southeastern region, and are the most abundant portions of copper, cobalt and lithium ore. This seems to have little room for a large agreement with the US. Of course, many exploration projects are underway. However, they represent huge investments without guarantees upon arrival, and there is no focus on balance when it comes to obtaining emergency security aid,” he pointed out.
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The negotiations with Washington, DC appear to be even more risky given that US mining companies are currently not operating at DRC. The last American venture on Congolese soil left a sour and bad memories for the Central African country. Freeport-McMoran’s departure caused a stir in 2016 when the company was accused of selling assets to a Chinese company without consulting Congolese authorities.
Nevertheless, the US retains its interest in Dr. Congo’s mining resources. This was demonstrated by former President Joe Biden’s active support for the Reut Corridor, a railroad project designed to link mines in northern Zambia and southeast DRC to Angolan Port to strengthen US supply and counteract China’s influence.
“The current debate has allowed US mining companies to return to Dr. Congo. However, the idea that the US can seriously compete or even replace China is a false accusation because it no longer has the industrial capabilities of metal processing and refinement that Beijing does,” explained Stearns.
But behind the scenes, Congolese and US officials are busy finding a common foundation. On Tuesday, Congolese president spokeswoman Salama welcomed the fact that the debate was on track and explained that he “waited until they reached a conclusion before revealing the content.”
Salama also reported that Tshisekedi’s Deputy Chief of Staff André Wameso visited Washington in early March and accompanied by a delegation. Congolese government spokesman Katenbwe explained last week that “daily exchanges” were being held with the United States.
On his part, Trump is reportedly preparing to appoint a special envoy to the Great Lakes region, where he has been tasked with a priority mission to study the mineral trade in Congo. According to US reports, Massad Boulos, whose son Michael is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, was chosen for the job.
This article is translated from the original to the French.
