Congo offers US, Europe Minerals In Exchange For Peace

President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reportedly suggested that the United States and Europe be granted access to the nation’s abundant mineral resources, contingent upon their intervention to resolve the ongoing conflict affecting the country.

On April 20 ,Presidential Spokesperson Tina Salama urged the US to “directly purchase critical minerals” from Kinshasa instead of acquiring “looted” and “smuggled” resources through Rwanda. She made a similar appeal to Europe and other potential buyers, asserting that the DRC is the “true owner” of these valuable resources.

“Setting the record straight: President Tshisekedi invites the USA, whose companies obtain strategic raw materials from Rwanda—materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda while our populations suffer—to buy them directly from us, the rightful owners,” Salama stated in a social media post.

Her comments came in response to an interview with Tshisekedi over the weekend which was publish on international media. The article noted that while the Trump administration had expressed interest in DRC’s minerals, Tshisekedi was not directly quoted as offering these minerals to the US in exchange for peace.

According to reports Tshisekedi did not dismiss the possibility of a minerals deal, suggesting that such an agreement could enhance security and stability in his country.

This reported offer follows the recent imposition of US sanctions on James Kabarebe, a Rwandan military officer and former Minister of Defence. The US Treasury identified Kabarebe as “a Rwandan government liaison” to M23, a rebel group led by ethnic Tutsis that has taken control of key towns in eastern DRC, including Goma.

Although M23 has previously threatened to advance toward the capital, Kinshasa, analysts consider this unlikely due to the significant distance of 2,600 kilometers.

With sanctions now placed on Rwanda and M23, Salama noted that “sourcing raw materials, also known as conflict minerals, from Rwanda will become increasingly problematic and complicated.”

China currently has greater access to Congo’s mineral wealth than the US, while the European Union has has negotiated with Rwanda. Last year, the EU agreed to provide Rwanda with approximately $935 million in exchange for minerals such as tin, tungsten, and gold.

EU foreign ministers convened on Monday but were unable to reach an agreement on immediate sanctions against Rwanda over its suspected role in the conflict. However, the bloc indicated a potential reevaluation of its raw materials agreement with Rwanda.

“We have called on Rwanda to withdraw its troops, and the Memorandum of Understanding concerning critical raw materials will be reviewed,” stated Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Monday.

The DRC remains the world’s largest cobalt producer, with 220,000 metric tons of the metal mined last year, data from the US Geological Survey show.

Nearly 70% of the world’s tantalum, which is extracted from coltan, comes from DRC and neighbouring Rwanda. The volatile eastern region of the country is also home to vast deposits of tin and tungsten.

The country also has vast sources of coltan. The mining of the metal has been linked to  “large-scale environmental damage, human rights abuses, violence and death”. Reports indicate that child labour is widely used in hazardous mining conditions, further deepening concerns about ethical sourcing.