USA, DRC and Rwanda Seal Accords for Peace and Prosperity in Washington
On 4 December 2025, the United States of America (USA), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Rwanda signed several agreements to bolster partnership. On the same day, Trump, Kagame and Tshisekedi signed a trilateral accord for Peace and Prosperity, which acts as the overarching agreement among a collection of agreements, referred to as the Washington Accords.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and DRC Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Samba signed the legal instrument in Washington, DC, as part of the Washington Accords. On the same day, Rubio and his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungireha sealed a Framework for Shared Economic Prosperity.
The US-DRC Mineral Strategic Partnership Agreement grants American companies preferential access to DRC’s minerals in exchange for USA’s infrastructural investment in transport and energy, along with support for security. It builds upon the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity between the DRC and Rwanda, tying economic development to stability along the border between the countries.
The Agreement identifies a list of #CriticalMinerals of interest, including copper, cobalt, gold, lithium, manganese and zinc. The key infrastructure projects are the #LobitoCorridor and the Grand Inga Dam. In order to implement the Agreement, a Joint Steering Committee will be set up and shall meet twice yearly. A review is also scheduled every three years.
The Agreement calls for the DRC to build up a pipeline of specific state-owned mineral assets for investment, compiled under the so-called Strategic Asset Reserve (SAR). Qualified US corporations are entitled to a Right Of First Offer (ROFO) within a set time window.
The Framework with Rwanda also prioritizes Western investment into Rwanda. It seeks to promote conflict-free minerals that are traceable. The US is particularly interested in Rwanda’s tungsten reserves, as Rwanda is currently ranked as the world’s 6th largest producer. Rwanda is believed to be a gateway for the export of coltan to China, mined from the conflict region along the border with DRC.
Earlier in the year, the DRC and Rwanda had concluded a Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF). The REIF enumerates potential areas, including mining, infrastructure, agribusiness, public health and national park management, for cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda. It also emphasizes the need for peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region for any sustainable socio-economic progress.