Recognising that the White House of President Donald Trump is interested in transactional relationships - and seeing the proposed Ukraine-US mineral deal - the resource-rich DR Congo is hoping to strike its own agreement with Washington.

Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi attends a meeting with US President Joe Biden, at a Carrinho facility, near Lobito, Angola, 4 December, 2024. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz) The chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee got a front-row lesson in Congolese politics last week.

A State Department spokesperson said the Democratic Republic of Congo holds a significant share of the world's critical minerals.

The United States is holding “exploratory talks” with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over a deal that would give it access to the African nation’s critical minerals in exchange for military support, the Financial Times reported late on Friday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has offered the US exclusive access to critical minerals and infrastructure projects in exchange for security assistance. Congo asked for an urgent meeting between Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Donald Trump to discuss a pact that would give American companies access to some of the most coveted minerals for energy transition.

As US President Donald Trump pushes for the United States to become a global leader in the production and processing of non-fuel minerals, the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has proposed a deal with the US aimed at reducing its over-reliance on China,

The United States is in preliminary discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) regarding a potential minerals-for-security agreement. ・Preliminary discussions between the U.S. and DRC involve a potential minerals-for-security agreement ・The deal would grant U.