DRC: The United States Disassociates from Tshisekedi's Mining Paramilitary Project

The U.S. embassy in Kinshasa denied Washington's funding of a security unit to monitor mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This denial follows the announcement of a paramilitary mining force project by the General Mining Inspectorate, which plans to deploy 20,000 guards by 2028. The DRC, the world's leading cobalt producer, is at the center of geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China, with a separate agreement signed with Beijing to boost mining investments.