The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, has begun exploring ways to collaborate with the United States and other European countries in the trade of his country’s mineral resources, in an effort to gain their support in his fight against M23. This partnership was highlighted by The New York Times.
The newspaper reported that Tshisekedi, who is struggling as his army continues to lose territories it once controlled, has agreed to offer the country’s minerals to the U.S. and European nations in exchange for their assistance in dealing with M23.
Through this strategy, Tshisekedi hopes that these Western countries will exert more pressure on Rwanda, which he accuses of supporting M23. He believes that granting them access to Congo’s minerals could increase this pressure and help bring peace to his country.
Tshisekedi’s decision to engage with the West comes at a time when the mining sector in his country has been largely dominated by Chinese companies, which have been extracting minerals at a higher scale than their Western counterparts.
This development emerges as countries such as Belgium historically known for exploiting Congo’s resources along with Germany and the U.S., have started increasing pressure on Rwanda, even threatening sanctions.
As part of these measures, the U.S. recently imposed sanctions on retired General James Kabarebe, who serves as Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accusing him of being the key link between Rwanda and M23.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is among the most resource rich countries in the world, especially in minerals. It possesses vast deposits of gold, diamonds, cobalt, copper, nickel, uranium, coltan, lithium, and more.
Congo’s untapped natural resources are estimated to be worth $24 trillion, making it the wealthiest country in the world in terms of natural resource potential.
It is estimated that in 2013, 48% of the world’s cobalt supply came from the DRC, and at that time, the country held 47% of the world’s known cobalt reserves. More recent data shows that the DRC now holds 60% of the world’s cobalt reserves, amounting to approximately 36 million metric tons.
Tshisekedi’s decision to offer minerals to Western nations comes despite the fact that foreign entities already hold significant control over Congo’s resources, while the majority of its population continues to live in poverty.
For instance, in a contract valued at $300 billion that the DRC signed with various international companies mining cobalt, the country only retains 3% of the revenue from the extracted minerals, while the rest goes into the pockets of foreign investors who do not have Congo’s best interests at heart.
Additionally, it is estimated that 40% of the diamonds mined in regions such as Kasai, both Kivus, Maniema, and Katanga are smuggled abroad illegally. The same applies to other minerals.
Tshisekedi has often claimed that the war with M23 is caused by Rwanda’s desire to loot his country’s resources, but M23’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, recently refuted this claim.
Kanyuka stated that they are not fighting over minerals, as the areas they control do not contain any valuable mineral deposits.
He said, “If you go to Bunagana and Rutshuru, there are no mineral resources there. Our war is about survival. Kinshasa marginalizes us, calling us foreigners, yet we are not foreigners ,we are Congolese, and this is our home. Our primary goal is survival, not minerals.”
He emphasized that their struggle is not for the rights of a single ethnic group but for the rights of all communities. As an example, he mentioned that he is originally from Kasai but is part of the AFC/M23 coalition.
“We are fighting for all ethnic groups. We are not like Tshisekedi, who excludes some people and promotes favoritism in politics,” he added.
The movement group maintains that its objective is not to overthrow the government in Kinshasa but rather to demand that it stop oppressing and killing its own citizens.
