Although Donald Trump claims to have succeeded in restoring peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the reality is quite different, according to Thierry Vircoulon, as “the fighting continues in North Kivu between the M23 and the Congolese army, with a trend towards drone warfare.” Today, the M23, a “armed group composed of Congolese Tutsi soldiers has never controlled so many territories and has taken two major cities in eastern Congo, Goma and Bukavu, in early 2025.” With the failure of the peace process, “the United States has resorted to sanctions against the Rwandan army and the M23.”
“The return of the United States to the Congolese scene,” explains the researcher, is “linked to the initiative of the Congolese president, so that Washington intervenes as a mediator between the DRC and Rwanda in this conflict in order to obtain security and political support in exchange for access to the mining sector.”
For Thierry Vircoulon, it is “ironic” to see the United States re-enter the Congolese mining sector, after having left at the beginning of the century by making “the largest mining investment by purchasing the Tenke Fungurume complex” and having “outmaneuvered China” before eventually selling the company to “Chinese interests”. This is seen as a mark of an “extremely inconsistent policy that is not a forward-looking policy, unlike China.”
“This deal” made by Donald Trump with the DRC is, according to Thierry Vircoulon, “part of a much larger chess game than a global chess game between Washington and China, and one of its dimensions is critical minerals, including copper and cobalt.”
Context:
- The article discusses the ongoing conflicts in North Kivu between the M23 and the Congolese army, as well as the involvement of the United States in mediating between the DRC and Rwanda.
- Thierry Vircoulon provides analysis on the situation, highlighting the complexities of the conflict and the involvement of major world powers.
Fact Check:
- The article mentions specific details such as the control of territories by the M23 and the involvement of the United States in the conflict, which should be verified with additional sources for confirmation.
