On August 31, 2025, Washington, Kinshasa, and Kigali advanced a trilateral partnership that links critical minerals development with regional peacebuilding in Central Africa. The initiative builds on earlier diplomatic engagements to stabilize mineral supply chains in one of the world’s most resource-rich yet conflict-prone regions. By formalizing dialogue between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and the United States, the partnership aims to promote responsible mining practices, strengthen governance, and reduce the role of illicit trade networks that have historically financed armed groups in the region.
The agreement highlights practical measures such as enhanced mineral traceability systems, joint monitoring mechanisms, and U.S. technical support for formalizing artisanal and small-scale mining. For Rwanda, the framework offers legitimacy for its growing role as a regional transit hub, while for the DRC, it promises new pathways to attract responsible investment into its vast reserves of cobalt and copper. The U.S. has framed the initiative as a cornerstone of its Africa strategy, tying mineral security to broader stability, development, and governance reforms.
This initiative matters because it tackles two interconnected challenges: securing reliable supplies of cobalt and other critical minerals essential for global clean energy industries and addressing the instability that undermines communities in eastern Congo. By aligning resource governance with peacebuilding, the partnership could help reduce conflict financing while diversifying Western supply chains away from China. If effectively implemented, the U.S.–DRC–Rwanda framework could set a precedent for linking mineral diplomacy with regional security, demonstrating how critical minerals policy can serve both economic and humanitarian goals.