The US is discussing a possible rare earth mining deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Financial Times reports, citing State Department sources.
"The Democratic Republic of Congo has a significant share of critical resources needed for modern technologies. The US is open to discussing agreements in this area," one of the sources told the publication. He added that the potential deal between Washington and Kinshasa would help “create highly skilled jobs“ and “integrate the republic into global and regional supply chains“.
The US is expected to train Congolese armed forces if US companies are granted rights to mine rare earths in the country. This is important for the authorities of the African country, which is forced to wage war in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
Since the beginning of 2025, rebels from the "March 23" movement have been on the offensive in the eastern part of the DRC. They have captured large areas of the provinces of North and South Kivu, including their administrative centers.