The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) does not view the growing American interest in its critical minerals sector as a competition with China, according to Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner. Speaking from the United Nations, Wagner stated that Kinshasa requires diverse partnerships to leverage its abundant natural resources for national prosperity.
"I don’t like talking about competition. I like talking about complementarity," Wagner told Fox News Digital. "A country as big as the USA, but also a country as big as the DRC and as big as China, they do not develop just with one single partner. They develop with different partnerships that respond to different needs and that bring different expertise to the table."
The comments coincide with the Trump administration's efforts to bolster U.S. access to the DRC's copper, cobalt, lithium, and gold, aiming to reduce American reliance on Chinese-dominated mineral supply chains. A strategic partnership agreement signed between Washington and Kinshasa on December 4, 2025, promotes enhanced economic cooperation, investment, and the development of secure mineral supply chains. This accord is linked to a broader regional framework designed to foster economic integration and address the long-standing conflict between the DRC and Rwanda.
Wagner indicated that U.S.-DRC relations are solidifying based on shared economic interests, welcoming increased American engagement to help the Congolese people benefit tangibly from their mineral wealth.
Global Energy Transition Concerns
At a separate U.N. meeting on critical minerals, Wagner cautioned that the global transition to clean energy should not replicate economic models where raw materials are extracted from Africa without local processing, technological development, or profit retention. "The global energy transition must not become another extractive transition," she warned. "If it merely replaces one form of dependency with another, it will have fallen short of its promise."
She advocated for international partnerships that support local processing, infrastructure development, technology transfer, research, industrialization, and access to financing, beyond merely securing raw material supplies.
Peace Process and Regional Stability
The U.S. focus on minerals is intertwined with the peace process mediated by Washington between the DRC and Rwanda. An initial peace agreement was signed in Washington on June 27, 2025, with presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame reaffirming the deal and signing related economic agreements on December 4, 2025. The framework aims to de-escalate conflict and attract Western investment to the mineral-rich region.
Wagner acknowledged that the agreement has not eliminated violence but expressed encouragement by the U.S. administration's readiness to impose consequences for violations. "This is a 30-year conflict we’re dealing with. It’s not going to happen overnight," she stated.
She commended the U.S. for sanctioning the Rwanda Defense Force and Rwandan officials for their alleged support of the M23 rebel group, which has seized strategic mining areas in eastern Congo. Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations. "I find it encouraging to see that we have with us a partner that is not willing to give up at the first obstacle," Wagner said.
Conflict and Sexual Violence
While holding the Security Council presidency for July, the DRC has highlighted the connection between natural resources, armed conflict, and sexual violence. Wagner reported a sharp increase in rape and other conflict-related sexual violence in areas controlled by M23 and Rwandan forces, affecting all genders. She noted that victims in occupied territories often lack access to essential services like courts and healthcare.
"This is also one of the reasons why we continue to be mobilized against this illegal occupation of eastern DRC," she said, emphasizing that restoring state authority is crucial for providing justice and medical care to survivors.
Wagner cited the Rubaya mining area, currently under M23 control and a significant source of tantalum, where U.N. experts estimate that at least 1,400 tons of coltan were smuggled into Rwanda annually after the mines were seized, generating substantial revenue for the armed group. In response, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed additional sanctions on June 25 against a network accused of facilitating mineral smuggling from eastern Congo into Rwanda, aiming to support the peace framework and enhance transparency in regional mineral supply chains.