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DR Congo and its largest lender, China, have reached a deal to intensify their partnership in the African nation’s extractive sector.
This occurs at a time when a major superpower, the United States, is competing with China for influence in the Congo, a significant mineral-rich country.
The U.S. and Congo signed a strategic agreement in December with the goal of increasing Western investment, rerouting Congo’s mineral supplies, and reducing China’s hegemony in the extraction and processing of essential minerals in Congo.
Following this, Congo shared a list of priority assets with the U.S., but its government has stated that it will look for other partners if the agreement with Washington fails to produce beneficial projects.
According to a Congolese government statement released on Thursday, the new agreement not only provides measures to ensure projects are carried out in a stable and open investment setting and that they adhere to Congolese law, but also outlines cooperation on exchanging geological data, protecting investments, and encouraging local raw material processing in Congo.
With Chinese firms already dominating Congo’s mining industry, the statement also said a flagship iron ore project in northeastern Congo, known as MIFOR, will receive priority support from China.
Regarding Congo’s new deal with China, Joshua Walker of NYU’s Congo Research Group stated that, “The U.S. will certainly take notice.” “It is clearly a riposte to Washington,” he added.
Walker pointed out that Congo’s agreement with the United States is more comprehensive and legally enforceable, exchanging mining rights for security support in eastern Congo, where Kinshasa has been engaged in a protracted struggle with rebels supported by Rwanda.
However, Congo’s desire to work together with China is encouraged by the duty-free access policy introduced by the Asian country, which tends to be of benefit to many African countries.
Congo also seeks to remain neutral amid competition between China and the U.S. over influence and control of natural resources in the African country.
In addition to being the world’s top producer of cobalt, Congo has enormous quantities of coltan, coller, lithium, and other metals used in battery production.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah