US-led peace talks could boost Rwandan processing of Congo minerals
A labourer carries a sack of ore at the Rubaya coltan mine, in the town of Rubaya, which is controlled by M23 rebels, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on March 24, 2025.
Congolese minerals such as tungsten, tantalum and tin, which Kinshasa has long accused neighbouring Rwanda of illegally exploiting, could be exported legitimately to Rwanda for processing under the terms of a peace deal being negotiated by the US, three sources told Reuters.
Kinshasa views the plundering of its mineral wealth as a key driver of the conflict between its forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo that has intensified since January, accusing Kigali of smuggling tens of millions of dollars' worth of minerals over the border each month to be sold from Rwanda.
