Rémy RUGIRA
Initial french article of The Rwandan
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking a strategic economic and military partnership with the United States, aimed at countering Chinese influence, stabilizing its conflict-ridden eastern regions, and securing a long-term agreement on critical mineral supply chains. A formal letter dated February 21, 2025, addressed to U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman, Chairman of the Critical Minerals Policy Working Group, outlines Kinshasa’s vision for strengthening ties with Washington. The letter, co-signed by Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi, Chairman of the Committee on Defense, Security, and Border Protection, and Dr. Aaron Poynton, Chairman of the Africa-USA Business Council, highlights the DRC’s unexplored mineral resources, estimated at over $24 trillion, as a strategic asset for U.S. industry and defense.
Félix Tshisekedi DRC President
The letter highlights the importance of the DRC in the supply of cobalt, lithium, tantalum, copper and uranium, materials essential to advanced technologies, aerospace and the military industry. President Félix Tshisekedi has explicitly invited the United States to invest in the Congolese mining sector, marking a break with Chinese dominance in the exploitation and trade of the country’s natural resources. Kinshasa proposes an economic and security partnership with the United States, including granting American companies exclusive rights to extract and export strategic minerals to ensure a stable supply to American technology and defense industries, creating a strategic mineral stockpile in collaboration with the United States to strengthen the country’s economic and security resilience, and granting control of the operations of the deep-sea port of Banana to American companies, allowing them to oversee a key hub for African mineral export
Beyond trade, Kinshasa is pushing for a military cooperation agreement that would include training and equipping the Congolese army (FARDC) by U.S. forces to secure supply routes and combat foreign-backed armed groups; providing strategic military bases for U.S. forces, giving them direct access to mining areas under threat; and replacing ineffective U.N. peacekeeping missions with direct U.S.-DRC cooperation, thereby strengthening Washington’s influence on African security issues. For years, China has dominated the DRC’s mining sector through long-term agreements that give it a near monopoly on Congolese cobalt and lithium, essential materials for electric vehicles, semiconductors, and new technologies. However, the Tshisekedi government is now seeking to diversify its partnerships, saying opaque Chinese contracts and a lack of investment in local infrastructure have not benefited the Congolese population.
Tshisekedi and Trump
U.S. policymakers have long viewed China’s strategy to control African resources as a direct threat to their economic and security interests. The DRC’s rapprochement with the United States could lead to a global strategic realignment, reducing the dependence of U.S. supply chains on China. However, Kinshasa’s ambitions face several obstacles, including the ongoing war in eastern DRC, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have seized control of about 10 percent of Congolese territory. The letter warns that if this instability is not contained, it could further threaten global supply chains for critical minerals, as armed groups continue to exploit these resources outside the control of the Congolese state. The DRC is urging the United States to act quickly and is proposing a high-level meeting between President Tshisekedi and top U.S. officials in Washington. The letter specifically calls for the involvement of US President Donald Trump, believing that his direct engagement could ensure congressional support for the historic deal.
The proposal represents one of Kinshasa’s most significant diplomatic moves toward Washington in recent years, as the DRC seeks to position itself as a key player in global supply chains and a major geopolitical ally in the face of foreign influence in Africa. While the U.S. Congress may still consider the proposal, the urgency of securing strategic supply chains, ensuring access to critical resources, and countering competing powers in Africa could push Washington to deepen its engagement with the DRC. February 27, 2025 Washington, D.C.