Congo, which is rich in cobalt, lithium and uranium, has been fighting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels that seized swathes of its territory this year.

The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted US officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

At the 58th regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, Caritas Internationalis highlighted the widespread effects of the conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo.

The United States is considering a critical minerals partnership with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a State Department statement. This follows outreach from a Congolese senator proposing