The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that President Félix Tshisekedi had requested special assistance from America, including allowing Americans to enter the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in order to find ways to end the long-standing war in the country’s eastern region.
In a speech focusing on the U.S. economy and the future of electric vehicle industries, Trump said his country is seeking to increase battery production capacity, noting that Congo’s mineral resources are more important now than ever before.
Trump said: “We must go to Congo, take it from China. But actually, I stopped the Congo-Rwanda war. They told me, ‘We ask you to come, take our minerals,’ and that is what we will do.”
These remarks come as the Kinshasa government has long been asking the United States to assist the FARDC in combating the AFC/M23 movement and is seeking to rebuild its security institutions. Since February 2025, many DRC delegations have visited the U.S. requesting political and military support.
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Trump revealed that America is competing with China in the electric vehicle industry. Specifically, he noted that China has dominated the large market for DRC’s minerals, so the U.S. must replace it.
On December 4, 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace and cooperation agreement covering security and economic matters, expected to help resolve the security crisis in eastern Congo.
The agreement includes provisions for cooperation in mining, processing, and trade of minerals, with American investors set to have significant influence.
Although Trump denied that the war had slowed because of his actions, military activity in eastern DRC continues to increase. Uvira, Bukavu, and Goma remain under the control of AFC/M23, while more than 500,000 people have fled the fighting in just one week, according to OCHA.
Trump’s statements have drawn widespread attention because they suggest that the war in eastern DRC could be viewed by major powers as an opportunity for resource exploitation rather than as a humanitarian security issue.
Regional political analysts say Trump’s remarks indicate that peace could be tied to foreign economic interests, with the DRC, Rwanda, and the entire region seen as a large source of minerals needed worldwide.
