U.S. Presses Congo and Rwanda for Peace Deal and Ukraine-Style Mineral Agreements
Massad Boulos, senior adviser to President Donald Trump on Africa policy, revealed that the U.S. is pushing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to sign a peace agreement — followed immediately by mineral deals modeled after U.S. agreements with Ukraine.
According to Boulos, both deals could be signed on the same day, with the DRC’s agreement being much larger due to its vast resources. A similar but smaller deal would follow with Rwanda. He anticipates this will happen within two months.
At a recent meeting in Washington, officials from the DRC and Rwanda agreed to submit draft versions of their peace accord by May 2, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio scheduled to oversee final negotiations by mid-May.
As part of the peace framework, Rwanda has pledged to halt support for the M23 rebel group and other insurgents destabilizing eastern Congo. In exchange, the DRC has agreed to address Rwanda’s security concerns, including taking action against the FDLR — a Rwandan rebel group operating within Congo, made up largely of Hutu fighters opposed to Rwanda’s Tutsi-led government.
The mineral deals are contingent on the peace agreement, Boulos said. While the DRC holds trillions of dollars in untapped mineral wealth — including cobalt, lithium, copper, and tantalum — ongoing violence has hindered investment. Rebel forces, particularly M23, have taken over several key mines and smuggled minerals into Rwanda.
Efforts by the U.N. peacekeeping force MONUSCO have largely failed to stabilize the region in recent months. President Tshisekedi asked the U.N. to withdraw last year, but peacekeepers remain, with at least 17 killed in 2025. Meanwhile, South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania are now pulling their forces out following M23’s capture of Goma in January.
In March, President Tshisekedi proposed giving the U.S. exclusive access to Congo’s mineral reserves in return for American support against the M23 threat. In a letter to Trump, he wrote that their partnership could give the U.S. a "strategic advantage" by securing critical minerals.
Boulos, who has business ties in Africa, visited the DRC shortly after Tshisekedi’s proposal to begin negotiating the terms of the potential deal.