DRC CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLEMAN?

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration is offering the US exclusive access to its critical minerals and infrastructure projects in exchange for military assistance against Rwanda- and Uganda-backed M23 rebels. 

This proposal, outlined in a letter from the Africa-USA Business Council lobbying on behalf of the DRC government to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seeks urgent discussions between Tshisekedi and US President Donald Trump. The president’s brother, Jacques, also travelled to the UAE to secure military equipment. However, the feasibility of these diplomatic efforts remains uncertain, given the US and UAE's strong ties with Rwanda. 

Despite over two years of M23 activity, the US sanctioned a Rwandan official and an M23 militia spokesperson who don’t rank high in Rwanda, raising questions about whether a direct deal would prompt a shift in US policy. 

Additionally, the DRC is going in the opposite direction of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger—which has taken greater control of its resources, expelled foreign powers and secured better mining deals following coups d’état over the past few years. Questions remain about how well recent talks went between Malian President Assimi Goïta and the DRC’s justice minister, Constant Mutamba.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Sources

https://www.mining.com/web/congo-courts-trump-for-strategic-minerals-tie-up-as-war-looms/ 

https://archive.ph/kwI0A#selection-1193.4-1193.69

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-open-minerals-partnerships-with-democratic-republic-congo-2025-03-09/ 

https://archive.ph/4j8DC

https://www.africaintelligence.com/central-africa/2025/03/05/tshisekedi-dangles-mineral-resources-in-exchange-for-help-against-m23,110382753-eve 

https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/the-itsci-laundromat/#resource-library 

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0022

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjd70mzge2o 

https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2024/09/04/burkina-faso-reclaims-gold-mines-from-largest-british-mining-firm/ 

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/new-mali-mining-law-could-boost-state-local-interest-projects-35-2023-07-14/