Global Witness published on 10 June 2026 a major report titled "Who Buys Rwanda's Smuggled Coltan? The Global Journey of Conflict Coltan from DRC to the World's Electronics."
Most of the conflict coltan mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo and smuggled through Rwanda is processed by companies in China. A few companies in Kazakhstan and Thailand are also involved. The refined tantalum often unwittingly ends up in the products of major Western companies.
Foreign Policy published on 4 February 2026 an article titled "What Will the U.S. Critical Minerals Summit Mean for Africa?" by Nasmot Gbadamosi.
Washington hosted this week officials from 50 nations, including Angola, DRC, Gabon, Guinea, and Nigeria, at a critical minerals summit. The United States sees African engagement as essential in its efforts to remove Beijing's chokehold on critical minerals.
Kenya's The Eastleigh Voice published on 4 March 2025 an article titled "Tshisekedi Courts US: DRC Offers Minerals in Exchange for Military Backing in War against M23 Rebels."
An American lobbyist for the Felix Tshisekedi government in Kinshasa sent a letter on 21 February to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio proposing privileged access by US companies to DRC critical minerals while giving Kinshasa military support to secure its territory against M23 rebels supported by Rwanda. The US would train and equip the Congolese Armed Forces. If the deal were to go forward, it would reverse the DRC's reliance on mineral exploitation by Chinese and European companies.
china-africa relations
