Washington, DC, May 28, 2025 (allAfrica.com/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
The U.S.-led push for a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda might include a minerals-for-defense cooperation deal that could reshape the region's geopolitical landscape. In exchange for exclusive access to key mineral resources vital to advanced technologies, the United States reportedly could provide military assistance and training to the DRC's armed forces.
The agreement reflects Washington's broader strategy to secure a transparent mineral supply chain and reduce reliance on China, while Kinshasa seeks stronger security support amid escalating violence in its eastern provinces. Underlying the conversation is the global race for minerals like cobalt and copper, critical resources at the heart of the green energy transition, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing. The Trump administration's initiative to trade security assistance for military access has been framed as a step towards peace in the region.
But peace in the DRC will involve more than securing a supply chain, even if that is the impetus for parties to negotiate.
A Humanitarian Catastrophe Hidden Beneath the Earth
The DRC has endured more than two decades of conflict that have left over six million dead and nearly seven million displaced as of 2023. Despite its mineral riches, 73% of the population survives on less than $1.90 a day. Sexual violence is rampant, with over 35,000 cases reported in 2022. More than 30,000 children have been forced into armed groups or sexually exploited.
Sustainable peace will not come from military alliances but requires diplomacy, dialogue, and addressing foundations of the conflict.
While the world races to electrify cars and build quantum computers, warlords and armed factions in eastern Congo fund their campaigns through over $1 billion in illicit mineral trade annually. This blood-soaked economy benefits foreign powers, multinational corporations, and corrupt elites, while the Congolese people are left with insecurity, hunger, and fear.
The Complexity Defies Simple Solutions
The DRC conflict is as layered as it is lethal. Over 100 armed groups operate in the country's east, many with shifting allegiances, ethnic motivations, and foreign backing. The resurgence of the M23 rebellion, supported in part by Rwanda due to concerns over Hutu militias like the FDLR, has reignited old tensions and fueled new ones. Meanwhile, the Congolese army (FARDC) finds itself in the paradoxical position of fighting some militias while quietly collaborating with others.
International responses have often made matters worse. MONUSCO, the UN's peacekeeping force, has struggled to maintain credibility. European mercenaries and ill-coordinated regional interventions have only further entangled the conflict. And recent military deployments by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including South Africa, have failed to address the root causes of instability.
Why a Military-First Approach Won't Work
South Africa and SADC's decision to lean heavily on military interventions risks deepening ethnic divisions and inflaming regional rivalries. Aligning with groups like the FDLR, linked to the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, only heightens Rwanda's security concerns and undermines any hope of neutrality.
Sustainable peace will not come from airstrikes or military alliances. It will come from diplomacy, inclusive dialogue, and addressing the political and economic foundations of the conflict. This includes confronting the cross-border exploitation of Congolese resources and ending impunity for those who profit from violence.
A Peacebuilding Strategy That Prioritizes People
A peacebuilding strategy for the region must incorporate these five "people-first" elements.
Mutual Understanding & Social Cohesion - Healing divides between communities and building trust. Citizen-State Relations - Promoting accountability and ensuring citizens are heard. Civilian Protection - Strengthening safety and advocating for human rights. Economic Prosperity - Supporting local development to reduce inequality. Leadership Development - Training youth and future leaders in conflict resolution.
The Path Forward: A Regional Peace Process Any long-term solution must include all relevant stakeholders: the Congolese government; M23 rebel leaders; Rwanda and Uganda; armed groups like the FDLR; civil society and community leaders, and regional and international mediators, among others. It's time to move beyond ethnic blame and geopolitical rivalries toward a vision of nation-building and regional unity. This will require diplomacy, reintegration strategies for former combatants, a crackdown on illicit mineral flows, and governance reforms both in Kinshasa and Kigali.
The United States Needs to Invest in Peace Like It Matters
To achieve real progress, we must treat peacebuilding not as a soft add-on, but as a strategic necessity, especially with the cuts in foreign assistance and restructuring of US diplomatic and negotiations capabilities in fragile and conflict-affected regions. The US should:
Respond Faster to Prevent Escalation: In conflict zones like the DRC, timing is everything. Rapid diplomatic and humanitarian responses have already shown results elsewhere. But they require embassies and bureaus that are sufficiently staffed, resourced, and empowered to act swiftly and in close collaboration with local partners. End Chronic Crises with Long-Term Peacebuilding: The DRC conflict is not episodic, it's entrenched. Ending it will take long-term investment in reconciliation, mediation, and locally driven peace processes. Prioritize Prevention - It Saves Lives and Money: Prevention is not only more humane than military intervention, it's more cost-effective. Small investments in conflict resolution and community-led violence prevention have dramatically reduced violence in countries like Nigeria. Applying this approach to eastern Congo could yield transformative results. Make All U.S. Aid Conflict-Smart: In fragile states like DRC, aid can do harm if it ignores the dynamics of conflict. U.S. assistance, whether development, humanitarian, or security, must be conflict-sensitive. Ensure Accountability and Local Ownership: Peacebuilding must be results-driven and community-led. U.S. grants should transition power to local organizations, be transparent, and adapt to realities on the ground. But to manage this well, the State Department needs more trained staff, better oversight, and sustained support from Congress.
The opportunity is clear: broker inclusive peace, support governance and justice, and create conditions that fuel development, not destruction
Let's Redefine Success
In the DRC, the opportunity is clear: broker inclusive peace, support governance and justice, and create conditions where mineral wealth fuels development, not destruction. Let's measure success not only by the wars we fight, but by the ones we prevent and bring to an end.
Maxwell Saungweme is the Regional Director for Central & East Africa at Search for Common Ground.
COMTEX_465883205/2029/2025-05-28T17:00:31
by Maxwell Saungweme
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