The United States plans to sign an agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the extraction of rare earth metals, according to the Financial Times, citing sources in the U.S. State Department.
The African nation holds vast reserves of critical resources needed for modern technologies, and Washington is open to collaboration. According to the publication, the Republic of Congo proposed a deal that would grant the U.S. exploration rights in exchange for support of President Félix Tshisekedi, who has been in power since 2019.
The agreement is expected to help strengthen the economies of both countries, create high-skilled jobs, and foster the integration of the DRC into global and regional supply chains.
Additionally, the U.S. plans to offer support in training the Congolese military, which is particularly crucial due to ongoing fighting in the North and South Kivu provinces.
This move by the U.S. to secure rare earth metal resources in Africa coincides with recent attempts to reach similar agreements with other countries, including Ukraine and Russia. In February, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed interest in a deal with Ukraine, but its signing was delayed due to disagreements among political leaders.
