Kinshasa weaves its web: between agreement with Washington and seduction of London

As the DRC finalizes a strategic agreement with the United States, a Congolese delegation is increasing its diplomatic and economic meetings in London to strengthen its international attractiveness.

A mining deal under American influence

The DRC is about to conclude a strategic agreement with the United States – announced by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi on the occasion of the national holiday of June 30, 2025 – aimed at sovereignly developing copper, cobalt and lithium , while ensuring that the economic benefits benefit local populations and stimulate local processing and employment.

Washington intends to diversify its sources in the face of Chinese domination in the Congolese mining sector, in exchange for support for security stabilization in the east of the country, which remains fragile in the face of the advances of the M23.

In London, diplomacy and business in fast-track mode

While Kinshasa is finalizing this strategic partnership, a Congolese delegation is staying in London to hold a number of meetings. It notably met with Sir Gavin Williamson , chairman of the United Kingdom-DRC Parliamentary Friendship Group, and with Baroness Verma , former Under-Secretary for International Development, who is interested in investing in renewable energy in the DRC.

These elected officials also met with British parliamentarians who support sanctions against Kigali, welcoming a convergence on the need to put an end to Rwandan interference and the plundering of Congolese minerals.

Image ambitions and renewed attractiveness

In Kinshasa's eyes, this diplomatic offensive serves several objectives:

• Affirm that the DRC is once again becoming a credible and sovereign actor on the international scene, as President Tshisekedi has reaffirmed.

• Reassure foreign investors by diversifying alliances beyond dominant China.

• And make stability a condition for development: the agreement with Washington anticipates a peace-security component combined with mining commitment, in a context where the M23 continues its expansion in eastern Congo .

A divisive bet: hope or illusion?

Some analysts hail a bold strategy: freeing itself from Chinese influence, strengthening local capacity, boosting employment, while engaging in proactive diplomacy in both London and Washington. For them, the DRC is shaping a new economic model based on sovereignty and mining innovation.
But for others, it's a risky bet. They point to American democratic pressure, particularly through the Dan Gertler affair and the idea of lifting sanctions to regain ground in minerals, as a symptom of a clumsy renegotiation of the balance of power, which could undermine the country's true sovereignty.