US-CHINA RIVALRY
Lingering concerns remain, however.
For the US, the deal would be an opportunity to access the DRC’s vast critical minerals but also a means to curb China’s influence in the region.
Boswa Isekombe Sylvere, general secretary of the Congolese Communist Party, said his country wants peace “but not at the expense of being turned into slaves”.
“The US ought to know that if they agree to exploit minerals, they are dealing with the heritage of the Congolese people, not the government.”
Lino N’shimba, president of the US Chamber of Commerce in the DRC, said he believes “there is not a single country in the world that is not interested in the minerals in the DRC”.
“Today, the DRC produces about 70 per cent of the cobalt of the world. The DRC is a major producer of copper,” he added.
“For history, the uranium that helped produce the first atomic bomb came from here in the DRC. So the DRC has always been in the centre in terms of minerals.”
Currently, China is the dominant player in the DRC’s mining sector, but DRC President Tshisekedi is looking to diversify access.
Some analysts are concerned that a US entry may create tensions with China.
“We should give the Americans a mining concession in an area that has no Chinese investments or any other foreign company operating,” said former Congolese senator Delphin Kapaya.
“They should not be given an area that will result in a legal battle.”
