Trump‑ally eyes Congo mine vital to global tech

[Redator]

The Democratic Republic of Congo is discussing the rights to the Rubaya coltan mine with an consortium led by Trump ally Gentry Beach, the Financial Times reported.

Beach, the chair of investment firm America First Global and former Trump campaign finance co-chair, and Swiss trader Mercuria aim to take rights to Rubaya to bankroll US-backed peace efforts in eastern DRC.

The project could need over $500 million, with output legally channeled via Rwanda and a Kigali-based smelter proposed.

As the US leads peace negotiations between the DRC and Rwanda, Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has pitched a deal to the Trump administration, proposing access to key mineral assets in exchange for help in suppressing the M23 rebellion and stabilizing the conflict-ridden east.

As reported by Al Jazeera, Kigali and Kinshasa are due to sign a draft peace accord in Washington this Friday, brokered by the U.S. and Qatar, aiming to secure ceasefire, troop pull-out, and disarmament of militias including M23.

The promise of US infrastructure and minerals investment, orchestrated in typical Trump transactional style, underpins the deal and is seen as a counterbalance to Chinese dominance in the region.

Coltan’s global role

Rubaya lies in the heart of the eastern DRC, a mineral-rich zone long ravaged by conflict. The area has been central to one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than seven million displaced, including 100,000 this year alone.

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The Rubaya mines, repeatedly seized by rebel groups and government forces, are key to supplying coltan, an ore critical to modern electronics and defense systems.

Coltan—short for columbite-tantalite—is used to extract tantalum and niobium, both vital to electronics, aerospace, and military sectors. Tantalum is used in phones, computers, missile components and aircraft engines; niobium is critical for pipelines and jet engines.

In 2023, the DRC supplied 40% of the world’s coltan, per the US Geological Survey, with Australia, Canada and Brazil trailing.