Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi recently met with US lawmaker Ronny Jackson to discuss potential US investment opportunities and the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.
The meeting comes after Washington expressed interest in exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo.
A Congolese lawmaker had previously contacted US officials to propose a minerals-for-security deal.
However, the presidency statement did not directly mention minerals, instead focusing on the need for a peaceful environment to attract American investment.
Congo is rich in minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and uranium, but the government has not publicly disclosed details of a potential deal with the US.
The country faces an insurgency by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, and the government plans to send a delegation to peace talks in Angola.
Experts warn that enticing US mining companies to invest in Congo may be challenging due to poor infrastructure, insecurity, corruption, and the dominance of Chinese firms.
