Sloane Powers
Eight Signs the U.S. ‘Minerals for Peace’ Deal with Congo Needs a Strategic Upgrade
In the wake of a U.S.-brokered declaration of principles signed in Washington on April 25, optimism abounds that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda will finally bring stability to the war-torn Great Lakes region. The accord, spearheaded by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alongside Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, simultaneously underscores America’s pivot from oil to critical minerals as the linchpin of its foreign policy. Yet analysts and historians caution that without a broader vision encompassing governance reforms, economic diversification and true partnership, this “minerals for peace” initiative risks repeating the transactional mistakes of past decades.
· 5 min read
