Description: In a ceremony chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, foreign ministers from both DRC and Rwanda have signed a draft peace agreement to end the war in eastern Congo. Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe have pledged to jointly cooperate on tackling armed groups in the region, and economic and trade cooperation by signing a joint comprehensive peace agreement on 2 May. The conflict between DRC’s military and M23 – led rebel forces intensified in Jan and ever since, Qatar and the US have been directly involved in mediation for the seizure of hostilities. The disputed region has vast deposits of minerals such as tantalum, gold, copper, cobalt and lithium, elements which define the modern industry and manufacturing. The US has been heavily involved in the peace initiative in order to achieve access to DRC’s valuable minerals, with partners such as Blackwater’s CEO Erik Prince being involved in the deal.
Impact: The US has diplomatically shadow boxed the conflict towards a peace agreement through proxies such as Qatar and the initially mentioned Angolan peace initiative. DRC’s war against M23, held underlying geopolitical ramifications such as untattered access to their mineral reserves, which are becoming more critical for global powers in the battle for geopolitical dominance. Speculations regarding involvement from controversial PMCs (Private Military Company) such as Blackwater, further encompasses the entanglement between state interests, private corporations and global conflicts with emphasis on geopolitical dominance. The US is aiming at toppling China industrially as the trade war persists, while countries such as Rwanda and DRC would trade security guarantees from private military contractors for access to their critical mineral deposits.