AFRICA/DR CONGO – Copper and cobalt from Congo soon in American hands

Kinshasa – Security in exchange for minerals. This is the “deal” between the United States government and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which forms the basis of the “U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement” signed in Washington on December 4 ).
A first concrete step toward implementing the partnership is the preliminary agreement announced on February 3 between the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium and Glencore regarding the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium’s potential acquisition of 40% of two Congolese mining companies owned by Glencore: Mutanda Mining and Kamoto Copper Company .
The Orion Critical Mineral Consortium aims to support the United States and its allies and partners in developing safe, responsible, and resilient supply chains to support key minerals that promote future economic growth and security” . The consortium was launched in 2025 by a private company, Orion Resource Partners LP, and a U.S. public institution, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation . The latter, established in 2019, is the U.S. government’s international investment agency. “The DFC works with the private sector to advance U.S. foreign policy and enhance national security by mobilizing private capital worldwide. The DFC invests in strategic sectors, including essential minerals, modern infrastructure, and advanced technologies, promotes economic development, supports U.S. interests, and generates returns for American taxpayers” . The agreement, currently in its final stages, is valued at $9 billion and will allow the U.S. to gain control of two major copper and cobalt producers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The security aspect of the Congolese-American agreement is also managed in the form of a public-private partnership. The well-known US businessman Erik Prince helped the Congolese army recapture Uvira, the second most important city in the South Kivu province, from the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels . North and South Kivu are the two eastern provinces rich in strategic resources such as coltan. Prince, who now heads another company, “Vectus Global,” recently signed an agreement with the government in Kinshasa to establish “tax brigades.” These units are tasked with combating mineral smuggling and improving tax collection, particularly in the copper- and cobalt-rich areas of the south. This is precisely where the mines are located that are the subject of the agreement between “Glencore” and the “Orion Critical Mineral Consortium.”

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