Minerals deal central to DRC, Rwanda peace talks

Minerals such as tungsten, tantalum and tin, which the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has long accused neighbouring Rwanda of illegally exploiting, could be exported legitimately to Rwanda for processing under the terms of a peace deal being negotiated by the US, three sources told Reuters. According to TimesLIVE, Kinshasa views the plundering of its mineral wealth as a key driver of the conflict between its forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern DRC that has intensified since January, accusing Kigali of smuggling tens of millions of dollars worth of minerals over the border each month to be sold from Rwanda. Washington is pushing for a peace agreement between the two sides to be signed this summer, accompanied by minerals deals aimed at bringing billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters earlier this month. He said on X recently the US had provided the first draft of a deal to both sides, though its contents have not been disclosed.

The negotiations could lead to minerals from what are now artisanal mining zones in eastern DRC being refined and marketed from Rwanda, two diplomatic sources and one UN source briefed by US officials told Reuters. ‘Their (Washington's) point of view is simple: If Rwanda can legitimately benefit from the DRC's minerals through processing it will be less tempted to occupy its neighbour and plunder its minerals,’ one of the diplomats said. A government spokesperson for the DRC referred questions to the Foreign Ministry, which did not respond. A DRC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no co-operation on minerals could happen without the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and ‘their proxies’, a reference to M23, which controls more territory than ever in eastern DRC. According to TimesLIVE, for Rwanda, the negotiations could bring a huge inflow of cash that could help it clean up what has until now been a largely illicit sector of its economy. The US, for its part, would be able to secure for itself and its allies deeper access to DRC mineral assets dominated by China.