The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to experience persistent conflict and insecurity despite numerous diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace. The country's rich mineral resources, including cobalt, copper, lithium, and gold, have made it a focal point of international interest. The United States, in particular, has sought to strengthen its presence in the region through strategic partnerships with the DRC and Rwanda. These partnerships aim to promote economic cooperation, improve infrastructure, and secure access to critical minerals.
The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, signed on December 4, 2025, between the DRC's President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, with US President Donald Trump as a witness, were hailed as a significant step towards ending decades of conflict in eastern Congo. The accord included a commitment from Rwanda to withdraw its troops from eastern DRC and cease support for the M23 rebel group. In return, the DRC pledged to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia. The agreement also established a permanent ceasefire and measures for the disarmament of non-state armed forces.
Despite the signing of the Washington Accords and the Doha Framework, a peace agreement between the DRC government and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/AFC March 23rd Movement (AFC/M23) rebel group, violence persists in eastern Congo. The Doha Framework, signed on November 15, 2025, aimed to address the root causes of the conflict and promote a lasting peace. However, the continued fighting and humanitarian crises have raised concerns about the effectiveness of these agreements. Analysts argue that the negotiations have prioritized external economic interests over grassroots accountability and peacebuilding.
The DRC possesses some of the world's most significant deposits of critical minerals, including cobalt, copper, lithium, tantalum, and gold. These resources are crucial to contemporary capitalism and are increasingly important for the production of batteries, electric vehicles, electronics, and advanced manufacturing technologies. The global competition for access to these minerals has turned Congo into a major arena of geopolitical rivalry. The US has openly sought to strengthen alternative critical-mineral supply chains and reduce its dependence on China.
The US strategic partnership with the DRC includes cooperation on critical minerals, infrastructure, and investment. The partnership aims to increase mineral exports through the Lobito Corridor, which links the mineral-rich Copperbelt to the Atlantic through Angola. While developing infrastructure and promoting international trade can be beneficial, concerns remain about who controls the minerals, determines the terms of extraction, and captures the profits. If Congo continues to export raw or semi-processed minerals while importing expensive manufactured products, the basic colonial economic relationship remains intact.
External powers have repeatedly intervened in African conflicts while pursuing their own strategic and economic interests. The US recent policies towards Rwanda and the DRC illustrate this contradiction. Washington has criticized and sanctioned senior Rwandan military officials over alleged support for M23 while simultaneously deepening its strategic engagement with Congo around critical minerals. The DRC needs a genuinely African and people-centered approach to peace, one that prioritizes the interests of its citizens and promotes economic development.
A people-centered approach to peace in the DRC must defend the country's territorial integrity, oppose foreign military intervention, and support for armed proxies. It must also strengthen democratic institutions, address the legitimate concerns of neighboring states, and place Congolese communities at the center of decisions concerning their own future. Most importantly, Congo must break from the colonial pattern of exporting raw materials and importing finished products. Its mineral resources should feed African industrial manufacturing, and the enormous mineral resources of the DRC should become a foundation for African industrialization rather than a source of wealth for foreign shareholders.
Key points
- The Democratic Republic of Congo needs a genuinely African and people-centered approach to peace.
- External powers' involvement in the conflict has prioritized their economic interests over grassroots accountability and peacebuilding.
- The DRC's mineral resources should be used to promote African industrialization rather than enriching foreign shareholders.
