Last weekend, President Félix Tshisekedi returned from signing the DRC–Rwanda agreement in Washington to a hero’s welcome in Kinshasa.

From his car’s sunroof, he waved to cheering crowds who believed he had put an end to the conflict with the stroke of a pen.

Beyond the accord with Rwanda, another deal was sealed — this time, with the United States on “Strategic Partnership.” Widely described in Kinshasa as a “mines for security agreement,” it represents a partnership that reaches far beyond the mining sector, seeking to help Congo profit from its natural resources while keeping the peace.

Senior Congolese officials have explained the contents of the agreements between the DRC and the United States, refuting allegations that they are tilted towards US more than addressing security concerns.

“The agreement clearly states that there will be a focus on the exploration, extraction and processing of critical minerals, but we are going beyond critical minerals because, for example, the agreement provides that the US and Congolese governments will work closely together to advance a number of projects considered critical to transforming the DRC. One example is the Grand Inga project,” he said.

The large dam requires more than $10 billion to get started. This project has long been a concern for several organisations, including the African Union, which believe that its development could generate 43,200MW to support existing regional energy pools and their combined services, in order to transform Africa from traditional to modern energy sources and ensure access to clean and affordable electricity for all Africans.“This project is therefore a lever that the DRC and the United States will need to rely on to launch several related development initiatives,” Samba explained.

The agreement signed in Washington also highlights the Lobito Corridor. This vast project, first promoted by Joe Biden’s US administration, is regarded as transformative infrastructure intended to link the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean.

It is presented as a key axis for strengthening critical mineral supply chains, improving regional connectivity and stimulating sustainable growth. The project is also expected to open up new trade routes between Central Africa, the United States and Europe.

Samba noted that the agreement gives DRC powers to decide which development projects it considers strategic. This list of strategic projects will be communicated by the DRC to the US side in the near future, he said. “Similarly, the United States will communicate to the DRC the projects it considers critical.”

“We, the DRC, were created so that the Western world could draw on the resources it needed for its industrial development. Remember rubber, remember the uranium that enabled the Americans to build the first nuclear bomb. We were never asked (for our input),” he said.

“Today there are iPhones, telephones that are used with our resources, without us. So, this is the first time in our history that a new industrial revolution is coming, and that we have decided to discuss with the DRC access to the raw materials we need for this industrial revolution. It is a historic turning point.

”Yet these promising prospects will only become reality if peace is effectively restored — peace that the DRC has been striving for over more than 30 years. Samba noted all the deals under the Washington Accords prioritise peace as a prerequisite for economic cooperation.

For the DRC, the strategy is straightforward: “Cut off the financial and logistical channels of violence by eradicating the illegal exploitation of gold, coltan, cobalt and other resources, as well as the smuggling that fuels the networks of insecurity.

”We see these agreements as strategic levers for a just and verifiable peace,” said President Tshisekedi on Monday, expressing his conviction that diplomatic efforts are leading the region towards “a turning point, a new path where peace is once again within reach.”

“Despite our good faith and the recently ratified agreement, it is clear that Rwanda is not honouring its commitments,” he said.

AFC/M23 have stepped up their attacks in recent days, particularly in South Kivu. The Congolese army, through its spokesperson Maj-Gen Sylvain Ekenge, confirmed that the rebels had intensified attacks since December 4.

While many in the DRC hope to see a return to peace, several observers argue that the peace being negotiated is a false peace. This is the view of Dady Saleh, a lecturer and security analyst, who asserts that, “the DRC must focus on strengthening its army and then building lasting peace.”

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