The health crisis is complicating efforts to challenge China’s dominance in key mineral supply chains
A worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has disrupted travel and delayed talks related to a key US-backed mining partnership, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing four people familiar with the matter.
The partnership is part of a broader effort by Washington to diversify the supply of essential minerals and reduce dependence on China.
The explosion has delayed travel and negotiations related to the US-backed mining partnership. Although existing mining operations have not been directly affected, visits by suppliers, consultants, and investors have been postponed, causing logistical problems and delaying discussions on expanding cooperation, according to the report.
A meeting in Washington scheduled for June to assess US companies’ interest in Congolese mining projects was postponed, while a review planned for July was canceled because key participants could not travel from the United States. Some discussions have since moved to Paris and Brussels, while negotiations continue in London.
DR Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and the second largest supplier of copper. It also has large reserves of lithium, tantalum and germanium, minerals important for electric vehicles, electronics, energy infrastructure, and the defense industry.
Washington launched talks with Kinshasa last year as part of a broader effort to transform key US mineral supply chains. In exchange for significant US investment and security assistance, the US has sought to expand access to Congo’s mineral resources.
The talks have taken place while fighting between the M23 rebel group and government troops is gaining momentum in the country’s mineral-rich eastern region. Following talks with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in April 2025, US Africa adviser Massad Boulos said the partnership could attract billions of dollars in investment.
The two countries signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement in December 2025 with Washington Treaty owned by the United States between DR Congo and Rwanda. The agreement commits both parties to expanding U.S. access to Congolese minerals and developing transportation infrastructure, including the Lobito Corridor that connects the mining areas to Angola’s Atlantic coast.
The plan is part of Washington’s broader strategy to challenge China’s dominance in key mineral supply chains. Chinese companies have spent years investing billions of dollars in Congo’s mining and are major players in the country’s cobalt and copper industries.
The World Health Organization said on Thursday that DR Congo has recorded 2,073 cases and 796 deaths since the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak was announced on May 15.
The US State Department told Reuters that Washington is committed to containing the outbreak while advancing mining cooperation.
On Thursday, the US Embassy in Kinshasa announced new health measures that prevent US citizens leaving DR Congo from flying directly to the US until they have spent 21 days in another country, emphasizing the growing impact of the outbreak on travel and cooperation with the central African nation.
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