The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted US officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.
Democratic Republic of Congo, which is rich in cobalt, lithium and uranium among other minerals, has been fighting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who have seized swathes of its territory this year.
Talk of a deal with the US – which is also in discussions with Ukraine over a minerals pact – has circulated in Kinshasa for weeks.
“The United States is open to discussing partnerships in this sector that are aligned with the Trump Administration’s America First Agenda,” a State Department spokesperson said, noting that Congo held “a significant share of the world’s critical minerals required for advanced technologies.”
The U.S. has worked “to boost US private sector investment in the DRC to develop mining resources in a responsible and transparent manner,” the spokesperson said.
Kinshasa has not publicly detailed a proposal, instead saying it is seeking diversified partnerships.
“There is a desire for us to diversify our partners,” Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said last week, adding there were “daily exchanges” between Congo and the U.S.
“If today American investors are interested in coming to the DRC, obviously they will find space … DRC has reserves that are available and it would also be good if American capital could invest here,” he said.
Andre Wameso, deputy chief of staff to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, travelled to Washington earlier this month for talks on a partnership, two sources told Reuters.
On February 21, a lobbyist representing the Congolese Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi sent letters to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American officials inviting U.S. investment in Congo’s vast mineral resources in exchange for helping to reinforce “regional stability”.
That initiative was not sanctioned by the broader Congolese government or presidency, according to two Congolese officials. There are, however, several initiatives underway, albeit in nascent stages, sources from Congo’s presidency, its ministry of mines, and from Washington told Reuters.
A Congolese delegation had been scheduled to meet with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 6, but cancelled the meeting at short notice, according to two sources.
Meanwhile, Us President, Donald Trump is poised to appoint Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born businessman with deep ties to Nigeria, as his special envoy to the Great Lakes region in East Africa. This strategic move aligns with ongoing discussions between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) regarding access to critical minerals vital for advanced technologies.
Boulos, whose son Michael is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, was appointed as Trump’s senior adviser for Arab Affairs in December. Early in his career, he worked in his family’s Nigeria-based business, Boulos Enterprises Ltd., a major player in motor vehicle distribution. The company, which has operated in Nigeria for decades, specializes in assembling and distributing motorcycles, power bikes, and tricycles. It has played a significant role in Nigeria’s transportation sector, particularly in providing affordable mobility solutions to millions of Nigerians. Boulos has also been involved in the retail and real estate sectors in Nigeria, further solidifying his influence in West African business circles.
He is expected to receive security and diplomatic clearances soon and may visit Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, and Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, later this month.
