Blackwater founder and Trump ally strikes mineral security deal with Congo

Former Blackwater chief executive officer and Donald Trump supporter, Erik Prince, will lead a team helping the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) secure and tax its extensive mineral wealth, according to a report from Reuters.

The deal, reached before Rwanda-backed M23 rebels launched a major offensive in January, was confirmed to the news agency by a Congolese official, two diplomats, and sources close to Prince. M23 has since seized control of eastern Congo’s two largest cities.

The Prince-led initiative runs parallel to a broader minerals-for-security deal being negotiated between the DRC and the Trump administration, aimed at securing critical mineral supplies. Current discussions between Prince and Congolese authorities are focused on implementing the agreement, Reuters said.

Washington has yet to clarify what role it would play in providing security under the potential agreement. 

Prince, who founded the private military firm Blackwater — later renamed Constellis — sold the company in 2010 after several employees were charged with unlawfully killing Iraqi civilians. They were convicted but later pardoned by Trump during his first term.

Trump’s global tariff regime target, China, holds a stronger position than the US in Congo’s mining sector. The European Union, originally included in a potential mineral deal pitched by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, has moved to secure resources through Rwanda. Last year, the EU pledged about $935 million to Rwanda in exchange for access to minerals including tin, tungsten, and gold.

The DRC is the world’s largest cobalt producer, with 220,000 tonnes of the metal mined last year, according to the US Geological Survey. The country also produces nearly 70% of the world’s tantalum, extracted from coltan. Its eastern provinces hold significant reserves of tin, tungsten, and additional coltan deposits.

Coltan mining in the region has long been linked to environmental destruction, human rights abuses, and deadly violence. Reports continue to surface of child labour in dangerous conditions, raising serious concerns about the ethical sourcing of these essential minerals.

(With files from Reuters)