Anticipated Agreement between Washington and Congo on Rare Minerals.. Trump Advisor Reveals Details

SadaNews - The United States is working to establish a mechanism to ensure the implementation of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while negotiating with Kinshasa on an agreement regarding rare minerals.

Masad Boulus, President Donald Trump's advisor on African affairs, stated that a "mechanism to ensure the agreement's implementation" has been established, which will be called the "Washington Agreement".

Boulus also noted that his country is negotiating with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is rich in cobalt, lithium, uranium, and others, to sign a "massive" agreement regarding rare minerals.

Agreement Under American-Qatari Sponsorship

The U.S. State Department indicated last June that the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo would sign a peace agreement, seeking to end decades-long conflicts between the two countries.

The announcement came three days after meetings in Washington between technical teams from both sides, mediated by the U.S., under the supervision of officials from Qatar, according to the U.S. State Department's statement.

The agreement includes provisions related to respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, cessation of hostilities, disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-governmental armed groups, as well as plans for the return of refugees and displaced persons, and the enhancement of regional economic integration, according to the statement.

The World's Largest Producer of Cobalt

According to the "Banzi" Foundation, based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the value of the minerals present in the country is estimated at around $20 trillion, including gold and copper.

The country is also considered the world's largest producer of cobalt, an essential element in defense and space applications and a key component in the batteries of many electric vehicles and mobile phones.

In 2023, the country's share of global production of this mineral was about 73%, equivalent to 170,000 tons. For comparison, Indonesia ranked second but contributed only 7.3% that same year, or 17,000 tons.

Dispute with Rwanda

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the European Union, and the United States accuse Rwanda of supporting the "M23" armed group, which renewed its rebellion in eastern Congo in 2021.

The rebels have taken control of two major cities this year, sparking widespread international condemnation of the group and Rwanda, which constantly denies any relationship with the rebels.

This conflict has led to the displacement of nearly one million people, thousands of casualties, and the "M23" group's control over a large part of the mineral-rich eastern Congo. The group claims to defend the rights of Tutsis in Congo and has threatened to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi's government.

U.S. Attempt to Diversify Supplies

The United States is working to diversify sources of critical and rare mineral supplies that have become essential in all modern industries, especially since China controls the vast majority of the production and refining of these minerals.

Last month, America reached an agreement with China to resume rare mineral exports from China, which Beijing had suspended due to the trade war initiated by President Donald Trump.

Source: Al-Sharq