Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo are optimistic they can reach a deal with Washington next month to secure U.S. investment in critical minerals, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
An investment deal with the U.S. and a separate peace deal with Rwanda were possible “by the end of June”, the newspaper said, citing two people close to the negotiations. But potential stumbling blocks remain substantial, the FT said.
Congo’s Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba said an agreement with the U.S. would help “diversify our partnerships”, reducing the country’s dependence on China for the exploitation of its vast mineral riches, the FT reported.
Kinshasa views the plundering of its mineral wealth as a key driver of the conflict between its forces and the M23 rebels in eastern Congo that has intensified since January.
Washington is pushing for a peace agreement between the conflicting parties to be signed this summer, accompanied by minerals deals aimed at bringing billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, Massad Boulos, U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, said earlier this month.
