Description: Rwandan government officials have reportedly stated they have engaged in official negotiations with the US over the exploration of the country’s rare earth mineral deposits. The unconfirmed reports come on the precipice of the news for a ceasefire agreement between the M23 rebels and the DRC, a conflict in which Rwanda has been labeled as the main supporter of the Tutsi – led M23. The DRC has remained adamant in their accusations stating that M23 were heavily backed by the Rwandan national military in occupying large swathes of territory in the mineral – rich eastern regions of the country. Earlier this year the US was reported to have engaged in direct and official negotiations over exploration rights for rare earth mineral deposits with the DRC, however, the negotiations were backtracked by the country’s unstable security and humanitarian situation caused by the conflict with the M23 rebels.
Impact: Rare earth minerals have emerged as the key natural resource which drives global economies and dictates industrial flows in fluctuating global geoeconomic conditions. The armed conflict in the DRC represents another example of indirect confrontation between influential regional players and global powers such as the US and China. Speculations regarding a potential rare earth minerals agreement between Rwanda and the US emerged shortly after the DRC and M23 announced commitments for a ceasefire, events that directly complement each other and exemplify the codependent dynamics of relations between critical natural resources and global conflicts. By tapping Rwanda and abandoning negotiations with the DRC, the US signals they’ve had vested indirect involvement in the conflict, which is intensified by the rare earth minerals race in the global trade war with China, which in return controls the largest global deposits.