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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has denied claims that it has sold its vast mineral resources to the United States under a recent agreement that grants Washington access to its reserves amid intensifying global competition for critical minerals.
Speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the African Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, Mining Minister Louis Watum dismissed suggestions that Kinshasa had conceded ground in negotiations with Washington. He stressed that the country had not sold any of its mineral assets under the deal.
“The DRC has not sold off anything at all. The DRC has not sold anything at all,” explaining that the arrangement merely establishes a platform for discussions with American companies regarding potential investment projects.
He noted that any eventual investments would be carried out strictly in accordance with the DRC’s mining code, adding that participation would ultimately depend on the companies involved.
The agreement, signed in December alongside a peace accord aimed at ending the protracted conflict in eastern DRC, provides a framework for US access to key minerals including copper, cobalt, coltan and lithium.Â
Although US President Donald Trump had described the accord as the beginning of a new era of cooperation that would foster peace and prosperity in the region, fighting in eastern Congo has continued, with parties to the conflict yet to fully honour their commitments.
Vice Premier Daniel Mukoko Samba disclosed at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January that the DRC had submitted a list of strategic projects to Washington. He said the proposals would be reviewed in the coming weeks by a joint steering committee.
Addressing concerns about US-China rivalry in Congo’s mining sector, Watum noted that the government remains focused on domestic priorities, including improving education and creating jobs for the country’s estimated 120 million citizens. He emphasised that the DRC intends to pursue its own national interests rather than be drawn into geopolitical competition.
The Central African nation holds some of the world’s richest deposits of copper, cobalt, coltan and lithium.
According to the US Geological Survey, it accounted for 76 per cent of global cobalt production in 2024. Demand for these minerals continues to rise, driven by their use in defence systems, artificial intelligence data centres and the global energy transition.
