US Seeks Congo Minerals to Counter China
The United States is intensifying efforts to secure strategic minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), aiming to challenge China’s dominance in the sector. Washington has renewed focus on this push since Donald Trump’s return to the White House earlier this year.
The DRC, one of the world’s least developed countries, holds vast reserves of gold, uranium, cobalt, coltan, copper, and lithium—essential for weapons, mobile phones, and electric cars. In 2024, the country produced more than 75% of the world’s cobalt. President Felix Tshisekedi is seeking stronger security ties with the US in exchange for direct access to these resources.
Conflict remains a major challenge, particularly in the east, where the M23 militia, backed by Rwanda, has seized several mining sites. To bypass the unrest, Washington has shifted its attention to Katanga in the southeast, a cobalt-rich region relatively untouched by conflict. The US is also promoting the Lobito Corridor, a transport route to move minerals to the Atlantic Ocean.
China still controls the majority of the DRC’s mining sector, often acquiring projects abandoned by Western firms. Experts warn that any US entry into the market will be slow, requiring years of exploration before profits emerge. To speed things up, American start-up KoBold Metals—backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos—has partnered with the Congolese government to explore 1,700 new potential mining sites using AI technology.
Adding further complexity is Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler, who, despite US sanctions, continues to profit from major mining projects in the DRC. Civil society groups are divided, with some pushing to end the sanctions. As competition for resources heats up, the DRC is at the center of a global tug-of-war between Washington, Beijing, and powerful private interests.