“DRC-USA: US lawmakers denounce the lack of transparency surrounding the mining partnership currently under negotiation,” headlines Radio Okapi on its website.
In the United States, the mining agreement between Washington and Kinshasa has sparked heated controversy. Democratic Representative Linda T. Sánchez, supported by 51 other members of Congress, has criticized the administration for conducting negotiations in secret, without involving Congress or ensuring transparency in the process, according to Enquete.cd
“In an open letter addressed on Monday, August 11, to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, these Democratic lawmakers expressed their concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding negotiations between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on strategic mining contracts,” Radio Okapi reported.
“Strategic minerals cannot be exploited at the expense of the health, land, and future of the Congolese people,” they warned, sending a clear and firm message to both US and Congolese authorities, the media outlet concluded.
To calm the situation, the Congolese Press Agency, a government agency, explained that this letter does not mean that the US Congress rejects the deal. His dispatch states that “the official text shows that US elected officials are requesting adjustments (consultation with Congress, protection of human rights), but no final decision has been made,” before concluding that Congress has not said no, but is demanding ethical and legal guarantees before finalizing anything. The issues raised (security, human rights) are real and well-documented, but they are being used here as leverage to renegotiate the terms of the partnership, not to cancel it.
The deal itself is the result of several fraudulent payments, according to Congolese media. “The US firm Ballard is paid US$100,000 per month by the Congolese government for its lobbying activities with the Trump administration to implement the barter deal, strategic minerals in exchange for security for the DRC, according to a report by Global Witness published in early July 2025,” announced Ouragan Fm
US lawmakers say they are waiting for a formal response before any official visit by a Congolese delegation to Washington and want to be kept informed of progress toward a fair agreement. “Mining for critical minerals must not be carried out at the expense of the Congolese people, their land, and their development prospects,” they insist, as reported by Tazama RDC.
Written by Akilimali Chomachoma