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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How Trump wants the US to cash in on mineral-rich DR Congo's peace deal
The Trump administration is spearheading an ambitious, but controversial, peace initiative aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has also drawn in neighbouring Rwanda. Its mediation efforts come as no surprise, as DR Congo - a nation in the heart of Africa - is endowed with the mineral wealth that the US requires to power the IT, and now AI, revolutions, much of which is currently going to China. US President Donald Trump is expected to host the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda - Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame - in the coming weeks to seal a peace agreement that he has hailed as a "glorious triumph", hoping to back it up with deals that will boost US investment in the region. US-based World Peace Foundation executive director Prof Alex de Waal told the BBC that the Trump administration was promoting "a new model of peace-making, combining a populist performance with commercial deal-making". "Trump has done this in Ukraine also. He wants to get the glory to boost his own political standing, and to secure minerals that are in America's interests," Prof De Waal said. However, he noted that "in DR Congo, China has already snapped up many of the minerals so the US is playing catch-up". He said that up to now US companies had been cautious about investing in DR Congo because of safety concerns and the "moral hazard" of dealing in so-called "blood minerals" - minerals financing rebellions - but this could change as the Trump administration implemented its peace model. Prof De Waal said this could also happen in other conflict-hit states like Sudan, where the Trump administration - along with Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt - was expected to get involved in mediation efforts after previous initiatives failed. He added that the Trump administration's peace model could not be dismissed out of hand, especially if it stops fighting that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others in conflicts that have raged for more than 30 years in eastern DR Congo. "Trump can get the different sides to talk, and shake things up," Prof De Waal said. But Prof Hanri Mostert, an academic on mineral law at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, told the BBC that DR Congo "risked compromising sovereignty over its minerals". DR Congo could find itself locked into deals for years, in exchange for vague guarantees of security, she said. This was reminiscent of the "resource-bartering" deals pursued by China and Russia in numerous African states, Prof Mostert added. She cited as an example Angola, where China built infrastructure in exchange for oil. "Even when oil prices went up, Angola couldn't get more value for it," Prof Mostert said. The US State Department said in 2023 that DR Congo had an estimated $25trn (£21.2trn) in mineral reserves. This included cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum - needed to make the electronic components used in computers, electric vehicles, mobile phones, wind turbines and military hardware. "For how long will DR Congo have to give its cobalt to US investors? Will it be 20 years or 50 years? What is the price for peace?" Prof Mostert asked. DR Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya confirmed to the BBC's Newsday programme in March that his country wanted to supply the US with "some critical minerals" in exchange for a security deal. The M23 rebel group launched a major offensive early this year, seizing huge areas of eastern DR Congo and smuggling minerals across the border to Rwanda, UN experts said in a report earlier this month. The minerals were then mixed with Rwandan production, and "their subsequent export to downstream actors reached unprecedented levels", the UN experts added. Rwanda denies accusations that it backs the M23, even though the UN has provided evidence it has thousands of soldiers in DR Congo. Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo In what appears to be an attempt to address the issue of mineral smuggling, the US-brokered peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda provides for a still-to-be negotiated "regional economic integration framework" between the two rival states. This would "ensure illicit economic pathways are blocked" and "mutually beneficial partnerships and investment opportunities" created for "greater prosperity - especially for the region's population". "We're getting, for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo as part of it," Trump said, ahead of the peace deal signed by representatives of the two governments on 27 June in Washington. A DR Congo researcher with the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies think-tank, Bram Verelst, told the BBC that the US initiative was running in tandem with another one being led by Qatar, a close US ally. Mr Verelst said the US's focus was mainly on the regional dimension, while Qatar's was on domestic issues between DR Congo's government and the M23 rebel group that has set up its own administration in the east after capturing the regional capital, Goma. Prof Jason Stearns, a Canada-based political scientist who specialises in the region, told the BBC that Qatar, like other oil-rich Gulf states, was expanding into Africa "to project power, influence, but also to seek economic opportunities". He added that it became involved in mediation efforts at the request of Rwanda, which perceived the US as being in favour of DR Congo, something Washington denies. Prof Stearns said Qatar had "massive" economic interests in Rwanda, pointing out that the Gulf state was building a new multi-billion dollar airport in Kigali and was in talks to acquire a 49% stake in the national airline. He explained that the US and Qatar were working closely together, but it was less than ideal to have two processes because "you don't want to end up in a situation where there is a peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda, but Rwanda then says: 'We don't control the M23', and the M23 continues escalating [the conflict] in eastern DR Congo". "So it's very important that the two processes are tightly tied to each other since the actors are so closely linked," Prof Stearns added. Under the peace deal, DR Congo and Rwanda agreed to launch a "security co-ordination mechanism" within 30 days of the 27 June deal. Mr Verelst said that a ceasefire was expected to take effect on Tuesday, followed by the DR Congo government and the M23 signing a comprehensive peace agreement by 18 August, building on the "declaration of principles" they had already negotiated. DR Congo-based International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank analyst Onesphore Sematumba said the US and Qatar were getting deals struck in "record time" since Trump's rise to the US presidency in January. Mr Sematumba said their intervention came after various Africa-led mediation efforts had "failed to get the parties to sign even a single document" since 2022. "Regional players do not have the same leverage to influence Kigali and Kinshasa," he added. "But between the signing of an agreement and the achievement of peace, the road can be long, and it will be long in this case," Mr Sematumba warned. One key question is whether the M23 will give up the territory under its control, as demanded by Tshisekedi's government. Mr Sematumba said the M23 had agreed to "state authority" being established across DR Congo, however, the rebels have also said they would not give up a "single centimetre" of land. "Personally, I think the transition should be gradual, and for certain areas there should be some kind of co-management. But everything will depend on the tact of the mediators, and their ability to break the ice," Mr Sematumba added. He said the success of the peace initiative also hinged on what the agreement called the "lifting of defensive measures" by Rwanda, widely interpreted to mean the withdrawal of its troops from eastern DR Congo. While Rwanda denies backing the M23, it says it wants to wipe out the FDLR, a militia born from those who carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and then fled into DR Congo. Rwanda has accused the Congolese army of working with the FDLR. The peace deal spells out that the FDLR should be "neutralised", however this has been attempted several times over the past three decades. "For Rwanda, the neutralisation of the FDLR is a precondition for the withdrawal of its forces, while DR Congo says the two must be achieved simultaneously," Mr Sematumba pointed out, saying that mediators would have to find a solution as these issues had led to the failure of previous peace initiatives. "Just by following the different interpretations given by the parties to the texts signed, you can sense all the difficulties that lie ahead," Mr Sematumba said. Prof Mostert agreed that diplomacy on its own could not achieve peace, and a broader initiative was needed. "You build peace by transforming pain. That takes more than diplomacy. It takes dialogue, decentralised participation and dignifying people's experiences," she said. "That's why I believe it is important that the dealmakers and the lawmakers remain aware of historical traumas, including decades of resource exploitation," Prof Mostert added. So if he wants the peace to hold for long enough for US companies to profit, Donald Trump may have to keep the pressure on for some time to come. More BBC stories on DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal: Inside the Congolese mine vital to mobile phones, as rebels give BBC rare access DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with scepticism in rebel-held city 'They killed all these young people' - BBC investigates alleged massacre in rebel-held Congolese city Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
4 hours ago
- New York Times
Dozens Are Killed by ISIS-Linked Rebels at a Church in Congo
Dozens of people were killed on Sunday in an attack on a church in eastern Congo by a rebel group linked to the Islamic State. The rebels, armed with guns and machetes, attacked the church in the city of Komanda around 1 a.m. while more than 100 people were holding a nighttime prayer vigil, according to local residents. More bodies were found in burned houses nearby. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country, citing official reports, said that 43 people had died, including nine children. The Congolese Army said about 40 had been killed. Children, mostly between the ages of 12 and 14, were taken hostage, according to the priest at the church, Sainte Anuarite. The parish was holding a celebration for its 25th anniversary when it was attacked. Missionaries from Italy serve in the church, and the country's deputy prime minister condemned the assault, saying that places of worship must be protected. In a letter shared with The New York Times, the church had in June requested security from the local authorities ahead of the events. 'Unfortunately, no intervention took place during the attack,' said Father Aimé Lokana Dhego, the priest at the church. He said the army and U.N. forces arrived only afterward 'to count and assess the dead and damages.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Japan Investors Brace for BOJ, Earnings After Trump-Fueled Rally
(Bloomberg) -- Japan's surprise trade deal with the US sent its markets on a wild ride, pushing stocks to all-time highs and fueling a selloff in government bonds. The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Can This Bridge Ease the Troubled US-Canadian Relationship? Trump Administration Sues NYC Over Sanctuary City Policy Automakers' shares led a market-wide surge after US President Donald Trump announced the deal on Wednesday. The broad Topix index hit a record close. Investors, finally having some good news, seemed to largely ignore thorny questions about the details of the trade deal, let alone the tenuous position of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following a recent election setback. But as the dust settles and focus returns to problems closer to home, investors are questioning whether the rally was a sign of things to come — or just a blip for a market that is facing multiple sources of volatility in the coming weeks and months. 'The deal came and there was this immense relief, and now markets are saying: 'hang on, not too much',' said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank Ltd. 'It's a relief that we didn't bleed to death. But we are still in triage, if not the ICU.' The headache for investors in Japan is that almost every piece of good news comes with a caveat. The trade deal was a clear win, but the 15% tariffs facing Japanese companies are still well above their level at the start of the year. The economy may get a boost, but that could in turn speed up interest rate hikes. The deal removes one reason for Ishiba to cling to power — since he had made clear he wanted to get it done while in office — but the win means he now has a better case for hanging on. That has shifted attention to some major events in the coming days, which will offer clues to the direction of travel for a stock market that has underperformed its regional peers this year. The Bank of Japan's monetary policy announcement on Thursday, although unlikely to result in a rate change, will be scrutinized for hints that the central bank may hike as early as September. That could hit both bond and stock prices. Investors will also be focused on corporate earnings, with Fujitsu Ltd., Tokyo Electron Ltd. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. among the companies set to report. Those earnings will be far too early to gauge the impact of the trade deal, but they will help investors get a sense of how strong Japanese companies are as they prepare for a prolonged period of higher tariffs — however good the figures might look compared to the worst case scenario. The 15% tariff on Japanese goods, including autos, was a relative reprieve from earlier threats of 25% or higher. Japan also agreed to invest $550 billion into the US as part of the deal, a vague pledge that has left market participants guessing at the potential details. 'You've certainly got the makings of an extended rally,' said Pelham Smithers, an analyst who runs an eponymous Japan equity research firm in the UK. 'But the bigger questions will be Bank of Japan policy, and whether Trump backtracks on this tariff deal.' Fiscal Fears Smithers, who was engrossed in the video-game Civilization when news of Trump's Japan deal broke, says his 'army of sales people' were swamped with calls from clients asking for updates on Japan's market. The enthusiasm is understandable. After trading sideways for most of July, the Topix Index jumped 4% over the course of the week, notching a new all-time high. Toyota Motor Co.'s shares posted their biggest intraday gain since 1987. SoftBank Group Corp.'s shares hit a record high. Japan's 10-year bond yields reached their highest level since 2008 after the trade deal was announced. Two-year yields, which are sensitive to changing interest rate expectations, also jumped. 'The tariff news was a complete positive surprise,' said Hisashi Arakawa, director and head of equities at abrdn Japan Ltd. 'I didn't expect the market to move that quickly.' The outlier to the wild moves was the yen, which fluctuated between gains and losses as traders digested the news. Caution was returning to the stock market by the end of the week, with both the Nikkei 225 index and the Topix closing down almost 1% Friday, part of a wider decline in Asia. One major concern is that the weakened government — whether led by Ishiba or someone else — may give in to opposition calls for tax cuts, worsening Japan's already stretched fiscal position. Worries about government finances have weighed on global debt markets in recent months, hitting Japan's ultra-long bonds alongside those in the US and elsewhere. Local media reports that Ishiba will soon announce his resignation have fueled these concerns, although he denied the reports. For now, investors in Japan have more questions than answers. The country's trade relationship with the US is, more or less, clear. But almost everything else remains in flux, and market watchers think the recent rally may reflect hope more than reason. 'We all need to cool our heads and regroup,' said Yusuke Sakai, a senior trader at T&D Asset Management in Tokyo, who called the stock rally a knee-jerk reaction. --With assistance from Momoka Yokoyama. Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Confessions of a Laptop Farmer: How an American Helped North Korea's Wild Remote Worker Scheme Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
