The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has offered the United States and Europe access to its vast mineral wealth in exchange for intervention to end the ongoing conflict. President Felix Tshisekedi’s spokesperson urged the US to directly purchase critical minerals from the DRC, rather than obtaining “looted” resources through Rwanda. She extended the same offer to Europe, emphasizing the DRC’s ownership of these valuable commodities.
This move comes as the US imposed sanctions on a Rwandan military officer, accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern DRC. The DRC and UN reports have accused Rwanda of exploiting the unrest to loot minerals like gold, copper, cobalt, and coltan. The M23 rebels reportedly control lucrative mining regions, and significant quantities of coltan are being smuggled into Rwanda.
The DRC is the world’s largest cobalt producer and holds significant reserves of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and coltan. China currently has greater access to DRC’s minerals than the US, and the EU has agreements with Rwanda. However, the EU is now considering reassessing its raw materials agreement with Rwanda due to its alleged involvement in the conflict. The DRC hopes that by offering direct access to its minerals, it can secure international support to end the violence and stabilize the region.