Ex-S-African envoy says resource needs driving US foreign policy

(MENAFN) Former South African ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, has warned that global conflict is shifting focus from oil to critical minerals, accusing Washington of pursuing a militarized foreign policy to secure access to key resources. Speaking during a recent Jumu’ah lecture at the Masjidul Quds Institute in Cape Town, Rasool highlighted how the U.S. is heavily reliant on imports for vital materials needed in its technological advancement, with China dominating the processing of these minerals.

According to Rasool, the U.S. has identified 50 essential minerals and is completely dependent on foreign sources for 12 of them, with over half of its supply for 29 others also coming from abroad. China, he said, controls the processing of 90% of these resources and directly supplies the U.S. with 13. He argued this resource insecurity is behind America's aggressive geopolitical stance, driven not by ideology but by pressure from tech industry leaders pushing for global dominance.

Rasool praised South Africa’s commitment to safeguarding Africa’s mineral wealth, referencing the country's military losses in the DRC as an example of its protective role. Africa holds about 30% of the world’s critical minerals, and South Africa itself has 70% of global platinum reserves, a key component in car manufacturing.

He emphasized that the world is now experiencing a "scramble for critical minerals," drawing parallels to historical imperialism. Rasool claimed U.S. interest in the Arctic, Greenland, Canada, and global trade routes—including efforts to secure the Panama and Suez Canals—are part of a broader strategy to control the global mineral supply chain.

Rasool, who was expelled from the U.S. in March 2025 for criticizing President Donald Trump and linking top American officials to far-right ideologies, described the incident as evidence of deteriorating U.S.-South Africa relations. His expulsion came amid tensions over South Africa’s land reform policies and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

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