The US is negotiating a minerals deal with conflict-hit Congo, a Trump
official says
[April 04, 2025] By
JEAN-YVES KAMALE and MARK BANCHEREAU
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A Trump administration official said Thursday the
United States is in talks with conflict-plagued Congo on developing its
mineral resources under a deal the Congolese president has said could
help make his country safer.
U.S. President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos,
did not provide details of the potential deal following talks with
Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, but he said it could
involve “multibillion-dollar investments.”
“You have heard about a minerals agreement. We have reviewed" the
Congo's proposal, Boulos said. “I am pleased to announce that the
president and I have agreed on a path forward for its development.”
American companies would be “operating transparently” and would
“stimulate local economies," Boulos said.
Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make
lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and smartphones. It also has
substantial gold, diamond and copper reserves.
Tshisekedi said last month that he was open to a deal on developing
critical minerals with the United States if the American involvement
could help quell insurgencies and boost security in the African country.
“I think that the U.S. is able to use either pressure or sanctions to
make sure that armed groups ... can be kept at bay,” he said on U.S. TV
broadcaster Fox.
The Trump administration also is negotiating with Ukraine over a
minerals deal in that country, which originally was proposed by
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last fall in hopes of
strengthening his country's hand in its conflict with Russia by tying
U.S. interests to Ukraine’s future.
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Massad Boulos visits The Great Commoner, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024,
in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
 Eastern Congo has been in conflict
for decades with more than 100 armed groups, most of which are vying
for territory in the mineral-rich region near the border with
Rwanda. The conflict has created one of the world’s largest
humanitarian crises with more than 7 million people displaced,
including 100,000 who fled homes this year.
The M23 is the most potent armed group and is backed by Congo’s
neighbor Rwanda. In a major escalation since January, the M23 rebels
have captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu and several towns in
eastern Congo, prompting fears of regional war.
On Thursday, M23 withdrew from Walikale, a key mining town in
eastern Congo it captured last month, after weeks of fighting with
Congolese forces and its allied Wazalendo militia.
M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said the group decided to “reposition
its forces” from Walikale and its surrounding areas in line with a
unilateral ceasefire it declared in February.
Willy Mishiki, a national deputy representing Walikale, said the
rebels left under pressure from the Wazalendo. Walikale resident
Faustin Kamala said it's not clear where the rebels went.
The Walikale area is home to the largest tin deposits in Congo and
to several significant gold mines. The Bisie tin mine, around 60
kilometers (35 miles) northwest of the town, accounts for the
majority of tin exports from North Kivu province.
___
Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer
Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, contributed to this report.
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