The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to establish a US-backed paramilitary guard force to protect its mineral mines, as Washington moves to secure access to critical raw materials amid ongoing instability caused by armed rebel groups competing for control of resource-rich areas in the country's east.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to create a new paramilitary security force with United States backing, designed to protect mines containing critical minerals from rebel incursions, according to a report by Al Jazeera published Sunday.
The initiative reflects Washington's strategic interest in gaining reliable access to the DRC's vast reserves of minerals such as cobalt, coltan, and lithium — materials essential to electric vehicle batteries, smartphones, and military technology. The DRC holds an estimated 70 percent of the world's cobalt supply, making its mineral sector a focal point of geopolitical competition.
The proposed force would operate as a dedicated protective unit for mining areas, many of which sit in the volatile eastern DRC, a region that has seen decades of conflict involving domestic armed groups, militias, and foreign-backed rebel forces. The M23 rebel movement, alleged to have backing from neighbouring Rwanda — a claim Kigali denies — has made significant territorial advances in recent years, raising concerns among international investors and governments about supply chain security.
The arrangement appears to be part of a broader diplomatic engagement between Kinshasa and Washington. The Trump administration has expressed strong interest in forging minerals deals with resource-rich African nations as part of efforts to reduce US dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains for critical materials.
DRC government officials have been seeking international security guarantees as a condition for opening mineral access agreements with foreign partners. A dedicated, US-supported security force could serve as both a military deterrent and a signal of American commitment to stabilising the region's mining infrastructure.
Human rights organisations have previously raised concerns about the conduct of security forces operating in DRC's mining zones, warning that militarisation of resource extraction can entrench abuses and benefit armed actors rather than local communities. Any new paramilitary arrangement is likely to face scrutiny over accountability structures, oversight mechanisms, and the welfare of civilians living near mine sites.
Details regarding the size, funding structure, training arrangements, and operational mandate of the proposed force had not been fully disclosed at the time of publication.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The DRC holds a dominant share of global cobalt and coltan supplies — minerals central to clean energy technology and defence electronics. Control of these resources has major implications for US-China strategic competition.
- A US-backed paramilitary presence in the DRC would mark a significant deepening of American security engagement in central Africa, with potential ripple effects across regional geopolitics.
- The arrangement could either stabilise mining operations and bring economic benefit to the DRC, or risk entrenching militarisation of resource extraction — an outcome with a troubled precedent in the region.
Background
The DRC has been afflicted by persistent armed conflict in its eastern provinces since the 1990s, rooted in a complex mix of ethnic tensions, weak state institutions, competition over mineral wealth, and interference by neighbouring states. The country's mineral riches — including cobalt, coltan, gold, and cassiterite — have long attracted both legitimate investment and predatory extraction by armed groups.
The M23 rebel group, dormant for several years, re-emerged around 2022 and has since seized significant territory in eastern DRC, including the major city of Goma in early 2025. The group's advances have disrupted mining operations and alarmed international supply chain managers dependent on DRC minerals.
The United States has been reassessing its critical minerals strategy since at least 2021, accelerating efforts under successive administrations to reduce reliance on Chinese processing and refining of raw materials. Africa has emerged as a key theatre for this competition, with the US, China, and European nations all pursuing minerals diplomacy across the continent.
Key Perspectives
DRC Government: Kinshasa views international security guarantees as essential to any minerals deal, having seen previous agreements fail to deliver stability. US backing could strengthen the government's hand against rebel groups while attracting foreign investment.
US Administration: Washington sees a minerals security partnership with the DRC as strategically vital — both for clean energy supply chains and to counter Chinese dominance in critical material processing. A paramilitary arrangement provides leverage and a tangible security footprint.
Critics/Human Rights Groups: Analysts and rights advocates warn that arming and funding paramilitary forces in a conflict zone with weak accountability structures risks repeating patterns of abuse. Past security arrangements in DRC mining zones have been linked to forced labour, violence against civilians, and corruption.
What to Watch
- Formal announcement of any bilateral security or minerals agreement between the DRC and the United States, including terms governing the paramilitary force's mandate and oversight.
- Reaction from Rwanda and M23, whose territorial ambitions in eastern DRC directly overlap with key mineral zones.
- Statements from human rights organisations and UN bodies assessing the accountability framework of the proposed force.