The DRC is a major supplier of critical minerals such as coltan , copper and cobalt , all essential to the technology, security, and energy sectors. However, these minerals have long been at the heart of conflicts opposing the M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, to the DRC government. In mining areas seized by rebels in mineral-rich zones, there have been continuous allegations of forced labour, unsafe working conditions, child labour, community rights violations, and environmental harm. While data from the Resource Centre’s Transition Minerals Tracker indicates that such abuses are widespread across the DRC mining sector, not only in conflict areas, the escalation of conflict and the rebels’ control of mines have likely worsened existing problems.

Amid this crisis, the USA has stepped in with what has been described as a “Strategic Minerals for Security and Peace” initiative. A key step in this trilateral diplomatic effort involving the DRC, Rwanda, and the USA was the signing of a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda, brokered in the USA but already fuelling controversy.

This page documents perspectives from civil society organisations and experts on the effectiveness of the peace deal and its potential outcomes. In their first comments, activists have raised concerns over the lack of transparency, the absence of the M23 rebels from the negotiation table, the lack of oversight for the victims of the conflict, and the sidelining of communities most affected by mining from these negotiations, undermining their sovereignty over their natural resources and paving the way for increased control over the region’s minerals. Furthermore, experts warned that the agreement may prioritise securing raw minerals over tackling the deep-rooted drivers of the conflict, risking the continuation or even worsening of historical and ongoing human rights abuses and socio-economic injustices associated with the DRC’s extractive industries.