How Trump's diplomacy is shaping the war in the eastern Congo
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- Donald Trump imposes U.S. sanctions on former DRC president Joseph Kabila for alleged leadership of the M23‑aligned Congo River Alliance.
- Orion Critical Mineral Consortium signs a $9 billion MOU to acquire a 40 % stake in Glencore‑owned Congolese mines, marking the biggest U.S. mineral investment in the DRC to date.
- Virtus Minerals purchases Congolese mining group Chemaf for $700 million, expanding U.S. foothold in the region’s cobalt sector.
- Rwanda faces unprecedented U.S. sanctions for supporting the M23 militia, yet the rebel group remains entrenched in eastern Congo.
- China controls stakes in 15 of the DRC’s largest copper and cobalt mines, valued at $93 billion under a 2007 minerals‑for‑infrastructure agreement, far outweighing U.S. investments.
Why it matters: Donald Trump gains geopolitical leverage in the DRC, while Joseph Kabila loses U.S. access; the $9 billion Orion deal and $700 million Chemaf purchase deepen U.S. mineral exposure, and Rwanda faces sanctions that force the M23 to seek new backers.
