Description: The leader of the Congo River Alliance (CRA), Corneille Nangaa, has denounced the US ceasefire and peace proposals regarding the conflict between the M23 rebels and DRC’s military. Nangaa has stated that CRA’s ultimate goal is to topple DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi as he was unconstitutionally elected and represented isolated and conservative interests of the DRC’s business elite. Last week, foreign ministers from DRC and Rwanda met in Washington where they signed a draft agreement under the patronage of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Nangaa’s statements represent the latest blow in Trump’s foreign policy peace efforts as the US is also being involved in a peace initiative regarding the war in Ukraine. The US aims at toppling Chinese state companies influence and accessibility in the DRC, which are heavily imbedded in the country’s rare earth minerals deposits. Trump appointed Massad Boulos as his envoy to Africa, who had stated that he had made some headway with DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi. M23 and other rebel fractions are largely supported by Rwanda which has consistently denounced involvement in the war.
Impact: Corneille Nangaa’s statements could pose a significant setback in a potential peace agreement which could inflict substantial ramifications for US national foreign interests. The draft agreement was reached by Qatar’s mediation and US diplomatic pressure and security assurances with the ultimate goal of securing unfettered access by the US to DRC’s rare earth minerals reserves. The CRA is one of the larger rebel groups supported by the M23 rebels and holds significant swathes of territory in eastern DRC, with Nangaa’s opposition to a peace and ceasefire initiative the current situation indicates larger internal divisions within the rebel camp coupled with complex political influence from Rwanda. The US would push the peace initiative forward as it races towards securing critical materials significant to it’s national energy and industrial security, with Erik Prince, the founder of the infamous private military company Blackwater, being suggested to offer security guarantees in the region. Continued opposition from rebel fractions could lead to kinetic response by the US through proxies such as Blackwater, since DRC’s eastern regions own one of the largest, rare earth mineral deposits, crucial towards securing advantageous position in the global trade war with China, and securing continued geopolitical dominance.