U.S. Bids to Trump China in DR Congo Mining Rush

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (R) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

The United States wants to secure its supply of strategic minerals in conflict-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, hoping to challenge China’s near-monopoly on the lucrative sector.

While the strategy has been in the works for years, Washington has doubled down on it since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.

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