DRC Deepens Strategic Partnerships With France, U.S., And UAE

Washington Accelerates Investments in the DRC’s Strategic Mining Sector

The United States is advancing its critical minerals supply strategy in the DRC through two distinct initiatives. First, discussions are underway with Ivanhoe Mines and Gécamines to channel part of the zinc, copper, and germanium production from the Kipushi mine to the new U.S. strategic stockpile under “Project Vault,” valued at USD 12 billion.

Second, the U.S.-based Orion Critical Mineral Consortium has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire 40% of the Mutanda and Kamoto copper and cobalt mines, operated by Glencore, in a transaction valuing the assets at approximately USD 9 billion.

At Kipushi, the export of mineral concentrates to the United States would be handled through a trading company jointly created by Gécamines and the Swiss group Mercuria. Gécamines holds 38% of this project, whose germanium output is particularly strategic for the semiconductor industry. Regarding Mutanda and Kamoto, Orion’s objective is to secure a volume of production proportional to its stake for designated U.S. buyers.

These two initiatives represent the first tangible outcomes of the strategic mining partnership signed between Washington and Kinshasa in December 2025. They reflect the U.S. intention to secure supply chains and counterbalance China’s dominance in the Congolese mining sector, while enabling the DRC to attract more diversified investments. The Glencore transaction remains subject to final agreements and regulatory approvals, notably from Congolese authorities.

DRC Signs New Four-Year Financial Cooperation Protocol with France

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and France signed a new four-year financial cooperation protocol (2026–2029) on Monday, February 2, 2026, in Kinshasa. This renewal follows a previous agreement signed in 2021, under which more than €500 million was disbursed to support development projects in the DRC.

The agreement was signed by the Congolese Vice-Minister of Finance and the French Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships, on the sidelines of an official visit. The partnership focuses on jointly identified priority sectors, notably environment, education, energy, transport, and agriculture. This bilateral framework aims to support structuring projects for the sustainable development of the DRC.

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) remains the key financial and technical operator responsible for implementing these commitments, continuing its long-standing engagement in the country, where it manages a substantial project portfolio. This new protocol strengthens a long-established cooperation relationship between the two countries and reflects, according to the signatories, mutual trust and a shared vision of economic and institutional priorities. DRC authorities reaffirmed their determination to work closely with AFD to ensure the effective continuation and implementation of ongoing and future projects.

DRC and United Arab Emirates Seal an Ambitious Economic Partnership

The Presidents of the DRC and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on Monday, February 2, 2026, in Abu Dhabi. The agreement aims to transform bilateral economic relations, with a target of USD 10 billion in investments by 2030 and expanded access for 6,000 Congolese products to the Emirati market.

To achieve this, the agreement will reduce tariff barriers to stimulate trade in key sectors such as mining, agriculture, and clean energy.

A central pillar of the agreement is the development of the Banana deep-water port. Led by global operator DP World, the project includes a 600-meter quay and a 30-hectare storage area, with an annual capacity of 450,000 containers. Designed as the DRC’s sole maritime gateway for containerized trade, the port is intended to provide the country with strategic logistical independence by granting direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. The first phase, which experienced delays, could be completed in 2026.

The agreement also includes a strategic component, with a memorandum of understanding on mining cooperation, aimed at strengthening traceability and security of critical mineral supply chains. In parallel, another memorandum provides for cooperation between the diplomatic academies of both countries, with the objective of sharing expertise and coordinating training programs.

This cooperation comes at a time when non-oil trade between the UAE and the DRC reached USD 2.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 16.1% compared to the previous year, including exports of vanilla, pepper, and fresh products to Europe and the United States.