DRC President Offers Mineral Resources for Anti-M23 Support as Conflict Intensifies

Key Developments:
Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi is leveraging the country’s mineral wealth to secure international backing against the M23 rebel group, which is backed by Rwanda and has seized vast territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). With military options exhausted, Tshisekedi’s administration is betting on its remaining leverage: ​mineral concessions to woo the U.S. and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

​Mining as a Political Bargaining Tool

Last month, Congolese officials, including representatives from the state-owned mining giant ​Gécamines, were dispatched to the U.S. to propose mineral deals in exchange for American pressure on Rwanda. Among those reportedly involved were ​Guy Robert Lukama, chairman of Gécamines, and ​Patrick Luabea, head of the Strategic Minerals Regulatory Authority (ARECOMS), though both denied participation. President Tshisekedi’s brother, ​Jacques Tshisekedi, also traveled to the UAE to negotiate arms deliveries, facilitated by his personal advisor, ​Kahongbu Mandungu Bra (nicknamed “Kao”), who serves as a mediator between Tshisekedi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

​The “Ukraine Model” Strategy

The DRC’s hastily crafted strategy draws parallels to Ukraine’s defense diplomacy, driven by twin fears:

1. The collapse of Kinshasa’s authority amid military setbacks.
2. Risks from parallel U.S.-Rwanda negotiations that could marginalize the DRC.

While details of the proposed mineral deals remain unclear, some groups with interests in the Katanga region are already positioning themselves. For example, Dubai-based Eurasian Resources Corporation (ERK) faced backlash from Gécamines when it sold its subsidiary Chemaf to Chinese mining firm North Mining.

​Mixed U.S. Reactions

Inside the U.S., reactions to the DRC’s proposal have been tepid. Several officials, including ​Peter Pan (awaiting Senate confirmation as Assistant Secretary of State for Africa) and Trump’s envoy ​Richard Grenell, have openly questioned the Congolese government’s credibility, citing the army’s devastating defeats in North and South Kivu provinces this year.

​Securing Time for Negotiations

The DRC’s urgent efforts to shore up support reflect its dire need to buy time. After losing ground to M23 rebels — who now control over ​1,500 square miles (4,000 km²) of territory — Kinshasa is scrambling to stabilize its security apparatus before potentially engaging in peace talks with M23 leader Paul Kagame’s regime in Rwanda.