Strategic Minerals, Strategic Motives: The U.S. in Central Africa

As the global race to secure critical resources intensifies, the United States is once again revealing a familiar pattern in its engagement with Africa—minerals often take precedence over people. At the heart of this scramble are rare earth elements, a group of 17 minerals essential to powering the technologies that define our age. From robotics, smartphones, and artificial intelligence to electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels, these elements are foundational to innovation and sustainability. They are equally indispensable to national defense, embedded in advanced weapon systems such as missiles, fighter jets, and radar equipment. In short, rare earths are at the core of America's economic competitiveness and security architecture. Yet, a pressing vulnerability remains: China currently dominates the global rare earth supply chain, controlling the majority of mining and processing. This strategic dependence has driven U.S. policymakers to seek alternative sources—often through transactional deals in resource-rich but politically unstable regions—further blurring the line between diplomacy and extraction.

Last week, the Trump administration brokered what it claimed was a historic peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda—two nations long engulfed in a deadly conflict fueled by the battle over critical mineral wealth. The agreement, signed in Washington and witnessed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, promises to end years of violence in eastern Congo. But behind the diplomatic applause lies a harder truth: the U.S. is more focused on securing access to rare earths than sustaining long-term peace.

President Trump himself declared the U.S. would gain "a lot of mineral rights" in the region as part of the deal. The minerals at stake—cobalt, lithium, coltan, tantalum—are essential for smartphones, electric vehicles, solar panels, and advanced military technologies. And with China currently processing over 80% of the world's rare earth supply and dominating cobalt extraction in the DRC, this deal marks a direct attempt by Washington to loosen Beijing's stranglehold on the global mineral market.

Peace With a Price Tag

Despite years of failed negotiations, the DRC and Rwanda agreed to a framework that includes ceasefire provisions, joint security coordination, refugee return mechanisms, and a “regional economic integration framework.” Yet critics point out a glaring omission: the M23 rebel group, responsible for some of the most intense fighting in the region and allegedly backed by Rwanda, was not even part of the negotiations. The group has seized entire provinces, built parallel administrative systems, and continues to expand its control—casting serious doubt on the deal's enforceability.

According to Daniel Van Dalen of Signal Risk, “This is no soft-power diplomacy. It's transactional statecraft.” He believes the deal reflects a new U.S. strategy in Africa—less about governance or humanitarian aid, and more about resource extraction and geopolitical gain.

It’s not just about containing China. The Trump administration, under the influence of corporate interests and aided by political figures like Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, Massad Boulous, has actively engaged African governments to secure private sector deals. Mr. Boulous was quickly dispatched as a senior adviser to meet heads of state and advance American investment in the region’s minerals. While framed as “peacebuilding,” much of this activity is about resource diplomacy, not people.

The Curse of Riches

Eastern Congo is one of the most mineral-rich yet conflict-ridden regions in the world. The country produces 70% of global cobalt and holds 60% of global coltan reserves. But that wealth has come at a catastrophic cost—millions dead over three decades, more than 100 armed groups vying for territory, and generations living in instability.

A 2022 Foreign Policy Research Institute report estimated that over six million people have died in the mineral-fueled conflicts in Congo since the 1990s. Despite this, U.S. firms withdrew from the region decades ago, unable to operate safely amid the chaos and corruption.

Now, with the global push for clean energy and tech sovereignty, American companies are returning—but this time with government backing and a geopolitical agenda.

Strategic Minerals or Strategic Peace?

Experts warn the deal’s success depends not only on troop withdrawals or trade corridors but on governance, local trust, and legal reforms. Will Mortenson from the Atlantic Council's Freedom and Prosperity Center argues that unless the DRC tackles corruption and strengthens the rule of law, foreign investment could deepen inequalities rather than resolve them.

There are also moral and humanitarian concerns. As Tressa Guenov of the Scowcroft Center put it, “If not carefully managed, U.S. access to critical minerals could perpetuate child labor, corruption, and environmental destruction—the very conditions that sparked the conflict.”

Despite the peace rhetoric, the agreement appears tilted toward American economic interests. While the White House celebrates the Washington Accord as a diplomatic milestone, there is growing discomfort that this is less about reconciliation and more about rare earths.

A Fragile Future

If implemented wisely, the deal could indeed open doors to regional stability and shared economic growth. It might even become a model for ethical resource cooperation—if governance, transparency, and local voices are genuinely included. But if mineral extraction outpaces institution-building, history risks repeating itself.

The U.S. now faces a critical question: Will it invest in Africa’s peace, or will it simply mine its chaos?

As the DRC prepares to reform its mining code and open up to more Western capital, Washington must decide whether its foreign policy in Africa will be built on diplomacy—or on digging.