Christopher M. Faulkner, Raphael Parens and Marcel Plichta
Under pressure from the administration of President Donald Trump, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its longtime adversary, Rwanda, signed a declaration of principles on April 25, which includes expectations of significant US public and private sector investment in the region. This move comes amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation that prompted the president of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, to send a letter to President Trump soliciting a formal security pact in exchange for access to critical mineral reserves.
On paper, a deal with the DRC may look desirable, even logical: access to resources, dislodging Chinese influence, and an opportunity to create stability to enhance investment. In reality, this deal looks more like a trap. Washington risks marching straight into a proxy war in some of Africa’s deadliest terrain.
The DRC is no stranger to conflict. From 1998 to 2003, the country was rocked by the bloodiest war since World War II, the Second Congolese War, a conflict most Americans have never heard of and that never really ended. Today’s conflict is witnessing surging violence; it is a tinderbox that has already drawn in nations like Rwanda and South Africa, with the former country being responsible for much of this uptick.
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