Congo offers US, Europe minerals in exchange for peace

By Cecilia Jamasmie, KINSHASA DR Congo 

In a bold diplomatic move, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi has reportedly proposed granting the United States and Europe access to the country’s vast mineral resources — on the condition that they intervene to end the ongoing conflict ravaging the nation.

Speaking on Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson, Tina Salama, urged the US to “directly buy critical minerals” from Kinshasa rather than sourcing “looted” and “smuggled” resources through Rwanda. 

She extended the same appeal to Europe and other buyers, emphasizing that the DRC is the “true owner” of these valuable commodities.

“Setting the record straight: President Tshisekedi invites the USA, whose companies source strategic raw materials from Rwanda, materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda while our populations are massacred, to purchase them directly from us the rightful owners,” Salama said in a social media post.

She was reacting to an interview to Tshisekedi published by The New York Times over the weekend. 

The story described Tshisekedi saying the Trump administration had shown interest in receiving DRC’s minerals but the DRC leader wasn’t directly quoted offering minerals to the US for peace.

According to the NYT, Tshisekedi did not rule out a potential minerals deal, allegedly stating that such an agreement would bring more security and stability to his country. 

Tshisekedi’s reported offer comes just days after the US imposed sanctions on James Kabarebe, a Rwandan military officer and former Minister of Defence. 

The US Treasury identified Kabarebe as “a Rwandan government liaison” to M23, a rebel group led by ethnic Tutsis that has seized key towns in eastern DRC, including the major city of Goma.

The group has previously threatened to push toward the capital, Kinshasa, though analysts consider this unlikely given the vast distance of 2,600 kilometers.

With sanctions imposed on Rwanda and on M23, “sourcing raw materials also known as conflict minerals from Rwanda will become increasingly compromising and complicated,” Salama wrote.