Officials in Congo are hopeful that ongoing negotiations with the United States will yield a landmark investment agreement in critical minerals, alongside a peace deal with Rwanda to end a deadly rebellion in eastern Congo, by the end of June.
Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo are expressing confidence that a dual agreement with the United States - encompassing both strategic investment in critical minerals and U.S.-brokered support for a peace deal with Rwanda - could be finalized by the end of June, according to a Financial Times report published on Sunday.
Key Congolese minerals such as tin, tantalum, and tungsten - resources Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of smuggling - may be exported legally to Rwanda for processing as part of the peace framework currently under U.S. negotiation, Reuters reported last week.
Sources close to the negotiations told FT that a minerals investment deal with Washington, along with a separate peace accord with Kigali, could be signed by late June. However, significant obstacles still remain, the report noted.
DRC’s Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba, emphasized that a partnership with the United States would help reduce the nation’s heavy reliance on China in developing its mineral sector. “An agreement with the U.S. would help diversify our partnerships,” he said.
The Congolese government blames the ongoing conflict in its eastern provinces on the illegal exploitation and smuggling of its minerals, accusing Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group and profiting from tens of millions of dollars in illicit exports each month.
Massad Boulos, senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump and a key figure in the negotiations, stated earlier this month that Washington is pushing for a peace accord between Kinshasa and Kigali this summer, potentially unlocking billions of dollars in Western investment for the region’s mineral-rich economy.
Responding to the developments, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo reiterated Rwanda's security stance, stating that its defensive operations along the DRC border would remain necessary “as long as threats and insecurity persist.”
The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment on the ongoing talks.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to the student-led protest movement in parliamentary elections on Su...
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the countr...
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heri...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain retreat once used by senior Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat to the student-led protest movement in parliamentary elections on Sunday.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the country to travel to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in France’s largest cities and more than 1,300 people were arrested during demonstrations against the rising cost of living on Saturday (24 October). Police also used a water cannon on a group of around 500 hooded youths in Paris, after the main rally ended.
Ukraine's military has been hit this month by restrictions on Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system. Its receivers stopped functioning when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones, jeopardising some combat and air defence missions.
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials reported strikes on residential areas and industrial facilities, while Moscow claimed to have targeted logistics infrastructure and a cargo vessel.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment