US-Congo Agreement Can Help Fix African Country’s Corrupt China-Dominated Cobalt Industry: Experts

Agreement seeks to prevent a Chinese chokehold on the critical mineral

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) poses with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula (L), DRC President Felix Tshisekedi (2nd L), Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema (2nd R) and Zambian Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo (R) during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony in Washington, DC, on Dec. 13, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

The United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia late last year. The agreement was intended to facilitate the development of electric vehicle battery supply chains, which involve the mining of critical minerals such as cobalt and copper.