US-Africa critical minerals partnerships challenge China’s dominance, strengthen supply chains, and promote a more peaceful, secure Africa.
The global race to secure critical minerals is reshaping US strategic priorities. These minerals, critical for modern technology, energy, and defense applications, include copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium, rare earth elements, graphite, manganese, gallium, among many others. They are found in abundance across central and southern Africa, from Mozambique and Namibia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Africa, and Zambia. Since China controls much of the world’s mineral supply and processing, this vast African resource base is now a pivotal asset in Washington’s efforts to fortify its supply lines and address geopolitical security risks.
This strategic pivot enjoys rare bipartisan support. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have issued executive orders emphasizing critical mineral security as a national priority. These directives reflect a broad consensus that America’s economic future and national security depend on reliable access to these indispensable resources.
Government Agencies Driving the Shift
US government agencies are mobilizing substantial resources to underpin this effort. The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to finance mining infrastructure and supply chain projects across Africa. By mitigating risk in these often-challenging environments, the DFC aims to attract American companies into the sector as a way to ensure stable mineral supplies.
Meanwhile, the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) is playing a crucial role by providing financing packages that enable US firms to operate in high-risk African markets with long-term contracts for critical mineral mining. This financing addresses a critical gap where commercial lenders remain wary. The Department of Energy has expanded its grant programs to build refining and processing capacity outside China’s sphere of influence, including pilot projects in African countries like Mozambique and Tanzania. These initiatives seek to establish local processing hubs for manganese, rare earth elements, and other critical inputs vital for next-generation batteries and defense technologies.
At the same time, the Department of Defense has actively leveraged its Defense Production Act Title III authority to diversify and secure mineral supply chains, focusing on cobalt, lithium, and other metals crucial for both military hardware and clean energy technologies that underpin energy independence.
Diplomacy as a Catalyst for Stability and Opportunity
Diplomatic engagement has been central to unlocking these opportunities. In June 2025, President Donald Trump successfully brokered a landmark truce between the DRC and Rwanda, two countries whose long-standing tensions have frequently disrupted mineral production and regional security. The agreement, scheduled for formalization in August, includes joint security operations along critical trade corridors and supports opportunities for regional economic integration.
If implemented fully, this deal promises to improve the operating environment for US and allied companies working in some of the world’s richest cobalt and lithium fields, helping to reduce the risks of armed conflict and illicit mineral trafficking that have long plagued the region.
The private sector is moving quickly to capitalize on and strengthen these developments. For instance, the US arm of global commodity trader BGN International has partnered with the DRC government, organized through a Texas-based company, to speed up exports and create efficient trading platforms governed by US regulations. BGN International says that this deal structure is designed to improve oversight and transparency in resource-rich DRC while ensuring that US consumers (both private and public sector) can trace mineral origins with confidence.
In parallel, Colorado-based KoBold Metals recently secured exploration rights to the Manono lithium deposits in the DRC, one of the world’s largest undeveloped lithium reserves. Their work could provide a direct supply line for American EV and battery manufacturers, along with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), backstopping energy independence. These are interesting developments in Washington’s goal to achieve critical mineral security: such public-private initiatives may help pave the way for better US-Africa relations.
Expanding Beyond the DRC
While the DRC remains a strategic focal point, US agencies are advancing critical mineral development across the continent. In Mozambique, the DFC is backing the establishment of a graphite mining and processing facility specifically intended to supply US battery makers. This aligns with the Trump administration’s broader focus on strengthening supply chains by partnering with resource-rich allied nations to reduce dependence on China.
Similarly, in Botswana, EXIM financing has facilitated projects to revive nickel and copper production. Copper, another critical mineral for clean energy technologies, underlines how the United States is building a diverse and geographically dispersed supply chain.
Challenges and the Path Forward
Despite progress, challenges remain, particularly security concerns in the eastern DRC. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group and ongoing instability threaten to disrupt mineral production and exports. However, Washington’s approach, combining diplomatic pressure, security assistance, and development finance, demonstrates a long-term commitment to fostering peace and stability in the region.
Beyond conflict, Africa’s mineral development faces hurdles such as inadequate infrastructure, oversight issues, and environmental concerns. Here again, US involvement is crucial. Programs led by the DFC and the Department of Energy emphasize sustainable mining practices and community engagement, helping African partners build capacity and resilience.
A Positive Vision for US-Africa Cooperation
The US government’s growing presence as a reliable partner in Africa’s critical minerals sector signals more than just a strategic economic shift. It offers a blueprint for stable, mutually beneficial relationships that can help transform the continent’s economies while securing America’s supply chains. This emerging partnership could reshape global mineral markets. By reducing dependency on China-dominated processing and refining, the United States will diversify its supply risk and increase resilience amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Simultaneously, increased US engagement brings tangible benefits to African countries through investment and infrastructure development. It also opens the door for the United States to act as a regional stabilizer, supporting efforts to resolve conflicts that have long undermined development and security. Now, the United States has worked to resolve not only the decades-long tension between the DRC and Rwanda, but also the Moroccan-Western Sahara territorial dispute. Each step towards peace and development in these regions simultaneously holds promise for the entire continent, promoting a more integrated and harmonized Africa.
The evolving US-Africa relationship around critical minerals is a defining element of twenty-first-century economic and security policy. Backed by bipartisan support, executive leadership, and targeted government programs, America is positioning itself not only as a consumer of Africa’s mineral wealth but as a committed partner in the continent’s stability and prosperity. If these initiatives succeed, the result will be a fundamental reorientation of global critical mineral supply chains, one that strengthens US economic security, supports clean energy transitions, promotes regional stability, and affirms America’s role as a trusted partner in Africa’s future.
About the Author: Asher Pascal Johnson
Asher Pascal Johnson holds a BA in Classics and Political Science from Lee University and an MA in Ancient Philosophy through the National University of Athens. He is currently at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Italy and is an avid researcher and political consultant, specializing in MENA region political and economic analysis. He also works on topics in economic ethics and moral philosophy, with a particular interest in economic nationalism.
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