The New Yorker:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has some of the largest deposits on Earth. Its President wants to sell them—and win a war.

By Nicolas Niarchos

On a recent episode of Fox News’ “Special Report,” the host, Bret Baier, turned his attention to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that doesn’t frequently make headlines in the United States. Using a map of the country, which is two-thirds the size of Western Europe, to educate his viewers, Baier began by outlining the regional conflicts in which the D.R.C. has been engaged, dating back to the refugee crises triggered by the Rwandan genocide of 1994. He added that “Congo is considered the world’s richest country in terms of natural resources,” containing untapped supplies worth “an estimated twenty-four trillion dollars, with a ‘T.’ ” Those resources include gold, diamonds, and so-called critical metals, such as cobalt and lithium, which are used in rechargeable batteries. Baier then introduced, via video link, the D.R.C.’s President, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.

Tshisekedi’s intended audience, it quickly seemed clear, was not Baier, nor most of the program’s 1.8 million viewers, but President Donald Trump, who is known to tune into Fox regularly. Tshisekedi, speaking in French, touted the D.R.C.’s mineral wealth and hinted at a potential deal with the Trump Administration: access to the country’s minerals in return for American weapons and military support against rebels who, since the beginning of the year, have seized a large chunk of the east of the country—an area rich in resources. “We have established partnerships with many other countries, and we think the United States of America, given its role and influence around the world, is an important partner to have,” Tshisekedi said. Earlier in the week, he had written to Trump, telling him, “Your election has ushered in the golden age for America.” The Administration apparently likes Tshisekedi’s idea: last week, Trump’s new adviser to the region, Massad Boulos (who also happens to be the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany), said that a deal, whose details were not disclosed, is under review. Boulos added, “I am pleased to announce that the President and I have agreed on a path forward for its development.” The negotiations seem to be already yielding fruit: three Americans captured after a coup attempt last year were released to serve their prison time in the United States, and Alphamin, a massive tin-mining complex whose ownership includes an investment firm based in the U.S. and the U.K., has resumed mining after M23 rebels retreated from the area.

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