Congo president meets US lawmaker amid talk of mineral deal

Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has met U.S. lawmaker Ronny Jackson to discuss the fighting in the east of the country and opportunities for U.S. investment, Congo’s presidency said.

The meeting took place one week after Washington said it was open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo. A Congolese lawmaker in February contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

A presidency statement described Jackson as a “special envoy” for U.S. President Donald Trump.

Congo has vast reserves of cobalt, lithium and uranium, among other minerals.

The government has not publicly detailed a proposal for a deal with the U.S., saying only that it was seeking diversified partnerships.

There was no direct mention of minerals in Sunday’s statement.

“We want to work so that American companies can come and invest and work in the DRC. And to do that, we have to make sure that there is a peaceful environment,” Jackson was quoted as saying in the statement.