KINSHASA, Nov 6 – The Democratic Republic of Congo has called on the United States to translate their strategic minerals partnership into concrete investments, urging both countries to move beyond signed agreements and deliver projects in mining, infrastructure and local mineral processing.
Economy Minister Daniel Mukoko Samba made the remarks on Friday following the second meeting of the joint steering committee overseeing the partnership, held in Paris.
Washington and Kinshasa signed the agreement in 2025 to expand US access to Congo’s extensive reserves of copper, cobalt and other critical minerals in exchange for investment in mining, infrastructure and initiatives intended to support stability in the conflict-affected eastern part of the country.
The partnership forms part of broader US efforts to diversify critical mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on China, which has a dominant position in several stages of global mineral processing and supply.
Mukoko Samba said the two sides reviewed progress on priority initiatives, including the Lobito Corridor, the Grand Inga hydropower project, efforts to increase Congolese copper and cobalt supplies to the US market, and reforms to the country’s fiscal framework.
The partnership has recorded some early developments, including the emergence of US-backed copper and cobalt miner Virtus Minerals, increased supplies of Congolese copper to the United States and support from Western investors for the development of the Lobito Corridor.
The corridor is designed to connect mining regions in Central Africa to Angola’s Atlantic coast, providing an alternative export route for minerals and supporting regional trade and infrastructure development.
However, insecurity in eastern Congo remains a major challenge for the country’s broader investment ambitions. The strategic agreement includes initiatives intended to support stability in the region, alongside commercial opportunities in the mining and infrastructure sectors.
Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba said Congo had emphasised job creation, skills transfer and compliance with the country’s mining laws during the discussions, while highlighting opportunities for additional US investment.
“Our requirement is to move from signed agreements to real investments,” Mukoko Samba said, adding that Congo wanted the partnership to support local mineral processing, electricity access for households and businesses and peace in the country’s east.
He also stressed that the agreement’s progress should be assessed through tangible project delivery.
“The success of the agreement must be measured by completed projects,” Mukuko Samba said.
Congo is the world’s largest cobalt producer and the second-largest copper producer, making it strategically important to Washington’s efforts to diversify access to minerals used in electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy systems and other industrial applications.
For Kinshasa, the partnership represents an opportunity to attract foreign capital while securing greater domestic economic benefits from its mineral resources. Beyond increasing exports, the government is seeking investment that supports local processing capacity, employment, technical skills and access to reliable electricity.
The US State Department and the US International Development Finance Corporation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
