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Washington contemplates ‘rare earths’ agreement with African nation
(MENAFN) The United States is in talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to secure access to its vast rare earth mineral reserves in return for military and security assistance, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
The resource-rich DRC has been grappling with escalating violence in its eastern provinces, where the M23 militant group has seized multiple cities. Last month, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa estimated that the conflict had resulted in 7,000 deaths. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, a claim echoed by Western nations, though Rwanda denies any involvement.
Sources cited by the FT suggest that negotiations have intensified, though they remain in the early stages with several challenges still unresolved. Last month, DRC presidential spokesperson Tina Salama urged the US to buy minerals directly from the DRC rather than sourcing them from Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of smuggling Congolese resources.
Previously, DRC Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting that the DRC holds over $24 trillion in untapped mineral reserves, including cobalt, lithium, tantalum, and uranium—critical materials for the aerospace and defense industries. Kalambayi also indicated that in exchange for a deal, Kinshasa expects Washington to enhance military cooperation and provide training for the Congolese armed forces.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has prioritized securing global mineral resources, including efforts to acquire reserves in Greenland and Ukraine.
A US-Ukraine minerals deal was expected last week but was put on hold after a tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House. Trump accused Zelensky of disrespect, ingratitude for past US aid, and risking global conflict, leading to Zelensky being asked to leave. However, in a recent post on X, Zelensky signaled that Ukraine is ready to resume discussions.
The resource-rich DRC has been grappling with escalating violence in its eastern provinces, where the M23 militant group has seized multiple cities. Last month, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa estimated that the conflict had resulted in 7,000 deaths. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, a claim echoed by Western nations, though Rwanda denies any involvement.
Sources cited by the FT suggest that negotiations have intensified, though they remain in the early stages with several challenges still unresolved. Last month, DRC presidential spokesperson Tina Salama urged the US to buy minerals directly from the DRC rather than sourcing them from Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of smuggling Congolese resources.
Previously, DRC Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting that the DRC holds over $24 trillion in untapped mineral reserves, including cobalt, lithium, tantalum, and uranium—critical materials for the aerospace and defense industries. Kalambayi also indicated that in exchange for a deal, Kinshasa expects Washington to enhance military cooperation and provide training for the Congolese armed forces.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has prioritized securing global mineral resources, including efforts to acquire reserves in Greenland and Ukraine.
A US-Ukraine minerals deal was expected last week but was put on hold after a tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House. Trump accused Zelensky of disrespect, ingratitude for past US aid, and risking global conflict, leading to Zelensky being asked to leave. However, in a recent post on X, Zelensky signaled that Ukraine is ready to resume discussions.
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