DR Congo Offers U.S. Investors Shortlist Of State Mining Assets

Tuesday 20th January 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

DRC minerals shortlist to U.S. investors moved into view on Tuesday after senior Congolese officials said Kinshasa has sent Washington a list of state-owned assets for U.S. investors to consider under a minerals partnership aimed at critical supply chains.

The officials said the shortlist includes projects linked to manganese, copper-cobalt, gold and lithium. The move reflects a wider push by the United States to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals, while the DRC seeks more capital, technology and downstream value addition tied to its resource base.

For Kinshasa, the pitch is also about structure. The officials said investors would negotiate partnership contracts for specific assets rather than a single umbrella deal, and that a Joint Steering Committee would oversee implementation. That approach signals a preference for asset-by-asset transactions with clearer governance and monitoring.

The proposal lands in a complex operating environment. The DRC is the world’s biggest cobalt producer and a top copper producer, but it faces persistent challenges around logistics, security in parts of the east, and investor concerns over contract stability and regulatory enforcement. Those constraints often shape project timelines and financing costs.

The cross-border relevance is immediate for Africa. Battery and energy-transition supply chains cut across multiple African states, including those with refining capacity, port infrastructure, or regional transport corridors. If new U.S.-linked capital flows into Congolese projects, nearby logistics hubs and service suppliers can also see demand rise, from engineering services to corridor trucking.

DRC minerals shortlist to U.S. investors: what is on the table

Congolese officials said the shortlist covers state-owned assets rather than private concessions. That matters for negotiation terms, because state entities can set partnership requirements on local processing, infrastructure contributions, and local content in ways that differ from private-led projects.

The DRC also has a history of resource nationalism debates, especially where royalties, export rules, and contract reviews intersect with public expectations of visible national benefit. Any new partnership model will be tested by how it balances investor returns with government revenue needs and community outcomes.

Next steps

DRC minerals shortlist to U.S. investors will now move into investor screening and asset-level negotiations, according to the officials. The Joint Steering Committee is expected to define sequencing, governance and monitoring, as investors assess technical data, legal terms, and bankability for each proposed asset.

Why it matters

The DRC minerals shortlist to U.S. investors matters because it could reshape who finances strategic African minerals and how quickly new capacity comes online. It also affects regional trade routes, processing ambitions, and Africa’s leverage in global supply chains that underpin batteries, electronics and clean energy systems.