Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: THE Democratic Republic of Congo has sent Washington a shortlist of state-owned assets – including manganese, coppercobalt, gold and lithium projects – for U.S. investors to consider as part of a minerals partnership.
The list, delivered to United States officials last week, represents Washington’s most tangible progress in converting peace and investment deals with Congo into influence over the country’s critical-minerals supply chain, according to a Reuters report. Since President Donald Trump brokered a pact between Congo and Rwanda to ease tensions in the mineral-rich east, US agencies have accelerated efforts to secure strategic metals.
The US Development Finance Corporation has signed a minerals marketing partnership with state miner Gecamines and backed the $553 million Lobito Corridor upgrade. Congo’s asset shortlist has gone through several rounds of internal vetting, the Congolese officials said, and represents Kinshasa’s most direct offer yet to Washington for U.S. investors to evaluate. US efforts to secure critical mineral supplies globally have intensified as it races to reduce reliance on China.
China is the world’s biggest consumer of commodities and also dominates the refining of copper, lithium, cobalt and rare earths, processing between 47% and 87% of strategic minerals, according to the International Energy Agency. Chinese companies active in Africa include CMOC, the world’s largest exporter of cobalt, mainly from Congo, and also Zijin and Huayou that export copper from Congo.
The shortlist includes Kisenge’s manganese, gold and cassiterite licences, Gecamines’ Mutoshi coppercobalt project and germanium-processing venture, Sokimo’s four gold permits, Cominiere’s lithium licences, and Sakima’s coltan, gold and wolframite assets.
