DRC’s Bold Offer: Tshisekedi Invites US and Europe to Directly Purchase Minerals in Exchange for Ending Conflict

In a strategic diplomatic move, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi has urged the United States and European nations to directly purchase the country’s vast mineral resources—on the condition that they intervene to halt the ongoing conflict devastating the nation.Speaking on Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Tina Salama called on Western powers to bypass illicit supply chains linked to Rwanda and instead engage directly with Kinshasa. 

She accused Rwanda of smuggling and profiting from looted Congolese minerals while violence continues to ravage the DRC."Setting the record straight: President Tshisekedi invites the USA, whose companies source strategic raw materials from Rwanda—materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda while our populations are massacred—to purchase them directly from us, the rightful owners," Salama stated in a social media post.The DRC, home to some of the world's largest reserves of cobalt, coltan, copper, and lithium—key materials for global industries, including electric vehicles and tech manufacturing—has long struggled with resource-driven conflicts. Armed groups operating in the eastern regions have fueled instability, with Kinshasa accusing Rwanda of supporting rebels to maintain control over illicit mineral trade routes.Salama extended the appeal beyond the US to European buyers, stressing that direct engagement with the Congolese government could ensure ethical sourcing of critical minerals while helping restore peace to the troubled region.Tshisekedi's bold proposition places Western powers at a crossroads: Will they take direct responsibility for securing mineral supplies ethically, or continue to engage with an opaque supply chain tainted by conflict and exploitation? The move raises significant geopolitical and economic stakes, as global demand for critical minerals continues to rise.