The Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the implementation of their strategic partnership, particularly in the sectors of critical minerals, infrastructure, and energy. This renewed focus emerged from the second meeting of their Joint Steering Committee (CPC), held on November 5 in Paris, France. The meeting builds upon the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed on December 4, 2025, and the first CPC meeting organized on February 5, 2026.
The two governments have expressed their desire to transform their commitments into concrete initiatives with clear responsibilities, timelines, and measurable results. According to their joint statement, the committee will provide strategic direction for their cooperation, strengthen coordination between institutions, and assess progress. Critical minerals feature prominently in their discussions, with both countries seeking to develop "safe, transparent, resilient, and diversified" supply chains.
The partnership is not limited to the extraction and export of raw materials. The governments also discussed local transformation, refining, advanced manufacturing, and technology transfer. They emphasized the creation of qualified jobs and the development of skills for Congolese workers. Both parties also aim to encourage investments from American companies and financial institutions in projects that can generate more value-added in the RDC.
Infrastructure development constitutes another major axis of their partnership. The two governments notably discussed the Sakania-Lobito corridor, presented as a lever for developing trade and investments in the region. They also welcomed the inaugural meeting of the Coordination and Governance Committee for the Grand Inga project, held on October 26.
The situation in the East of the RDC and the Great Lakes region was also addressed. The US and RDC consider peace and security essential for implementing the strategic partnership and developing investments. They reaffirmed their commitment to the full, verifiable, and durable implementation of the Washington Peace Agreements, respect for the RDC's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the protection of civilians.
To translate their commitments into actions, the two governments plan to continue developing the operational framework for the Strategic Asset Reserve. They intend to define a calendar for examining priority projects, continue work on Grand Inga, and identify priority investments linked to the Sakania-Lobito corridor.
The two parties aim to evolve their relations towards cooperation producing tangible results for the Congolese and American populations. However, the declaration does not specify the amounts of investments envisaged or the deadlines for realizing the different projects. Key initiatives include developing critical mineral supply chains and advancing infrastructure projects such as the Grand Inga and Lobito corridor.
Key points
- The RDC and US focus on critical minerals, infrastructure, and energy in their strategic partnership.
- The partnership aims to create qualified jobs and develop skills for Congolese workers.
- The two countries prioritize peace and security in the East of the RDC and the Great Lakes region.
