DRC President Met With US Presidential Envoy

According to Mining.com, citing Reuters, the DRC presidential office stated that President Felix Tshisekedi met with US Congressman Ronny Jackson to discuss security in the country's east and US investment issues.

A week earlier, the US announced it was not opposed to exploring a critical minerals partnership with the DRC. In February, a DRC lawmaker approached US officials proposing a "minerals-for-security" deal.

A statement from the presidential office described Jackson as a "special envoy" of President Trump.

The eastern DRC faces threats from the M23 movement, and the government had planned to send a delegation to peace talks in Angola.

The country is rich in mineral reserves, including cobalt, lithium, and uranium.

The DRC government has not disclosed details of its agreement with the US, only saying it seeks diversified partnerships. The Sunday statement did not directly mention minerals.

The statement quoted Jackson as saying, "We want to collaborate so that American companies can invest and work in the DRC. Therefore, we must ensure a peaceful environment."

Long-standing conflicts in the eastern DRC stem from the 1994 Rwandan genocide spillover and struggles for control over the region's abundant mineral resources.

This year, conflicts in the eastern DRC have escalated, with the two largest cities now under M23 control. Rwanda is accused of supporting the Tutsi-led M23 movement, but the country denies these allegations.

Byron Cabrol, a senior Africa analyst at Dragonfly, said last week that due to weak infrastructure and insecurity, US mining companies are likely to be reluctant to invest in the DRC.