Description: State Department officials have stated they have been contacted by representatives from the Congolese Senate with an offer that included the country’s rare earth minerals. DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya has stated that correspondence with US officials on the matter have been ongoing on a daily basis as DRC was looking to diversify its mining investment portfolio. The initiative has been discussed as the DRC is continuously fighting M23 rebels in the eastern parts of the country where the vast majority of the reserves resided. DRC was looking for a partner that would offer security guarantees in return for mining rights and also discussed such partnerships with China and Russia.
Impact: With the global trade war between the US and China, the division in the transatlantic relationships, and the combined effect of the US imposed tariffs on global economy, rare earth minerals are becoming a substantial priority for large consumer-based economies. DRC which has been plunged in a violent conflict with Rwandan – backed M23 rebels would offer concessions to larger global military powers such as the US, China or Russia in return for security guarantees in order to avoid the widening of the security and humanitarian crisis in the country. With the US also engaged in securing a similar deal in Ukraine, China seems like the most probable secondary party of interest as Russia’s priorities are differently aligned at the moment. The back-and-forth communication between representatives from the DRC and the US could indicate on a forwarded agenda which places the US as the top contender to exploit DRC’s mineral reserves.