NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 17 – US President Donald Trump’s Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, says the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are engaged in discussions over a potential minerals deal.
Speaking during a virtual press conference following his tour of the African region, Boulos confirmed that discussions were held with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi on advancing key infrastructure projects, including railways, highways, and power systems.
“Our role is to facilitate those private sector investments while also providing full support. The United States has several platforms, institutions, and organizations that have been—and will continue—supporting such efforts. These include the DFC, the U.S. EXIM Bank, and others. These institutions are fully prepared to support the private sector in Africa, whether in mining or other sectors, but especially in infrastructure,” Boulos explained.
He added, “It’s about time the DRC had reliable infrastructure, which is not only in our interest and that of U.S. investors but, above all, in the interest of the Congolese people.”
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Corina Sanders, expressed confidence that these developments would benefit both Congolese national development and U.S. strategic interests.
“With respect to security on the ground in eastern DRC, what I’ll say is that we are currently developing our own strategy—one that is acceptable to both sides and to the region as a whole. That process is ongoing, and we’ll share more details when we can,” she said.
Boulos also emphasized that recent U.S. mineral supply chain agreements are not exclusive to the DRC, but also involve Angola, Zambia, and neighboring countries.
“The DFC is one of the major players in financing the Lobito Corridor project, which we hope will be completed soon. The project has made significant progress, especially on the Angolan side. We are now in discussions with President Tshisekedi’s administration to advance work on the Congolese side, particularly with regards to railways, highways, and power projects, including dams and hydroelectric plants,” he said.
Some international diplomacy scholars have compared the DRC deal to the Trump administration’s proposed arrangement in Ukraine to end the four-year war with Russia.
Observers have dubbed the approach “minerals for security,” viewing it as a tactic to lock out competing global powers and influence mining activities and market prices.
President Tshisekedi is reportedly open to the arrangement, as the presence of American firms could provide a security guarantee against advancing armed rebel groups such as M23.
The trip, which lasted from April 2 to 9, included meetings with Heads of State in the DRC, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. President Trump’s envoy on Africa said his visit focused on supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace in Eastern DRC and exploring opportunities to expand U.S. private sector investment across the continent.
During his interaction with regional journalists, Boulos confirmed that negotiations between the DRC government and the M23 armed group have begun.
“We hope the outcome will be positive for all stakeholders involved,” he said.
He reiterated the U.S. position, demanding that Rwanda cease all support for the M23 rebel group, which currently holds critical towns in eastern DRC.
“The U.S. position is that M23 must lay down their arms, and Rwandan forces must withdraw from the DRC. This is our clear and unwavering position, and we will continue to advocate for it. We strongly believe that peace will prevail—not through force, but through dialogue,” Boulos concluded.
