With the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) discussing a potential agreement on critical minerals, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center—on Friday, May 16 at 9:00 a.m. ET/13:00 GMT—will host a series of conversations on the key issues that impact governance, investment, and peace in the DRC.

Following the April 26 meeting between the foreign ministers of the DRC, Rwanda, and United States where a tenuous peace agreement process began, there has been increased interest in investment in the DRC’s turbulent but mineral-rich east. With renewed interest by policymakers in Washington toward this critical region, this event will explore pathways to renewed peace and prosperity in the Congo and the role that the DRC’s mineral wealth may play. Key themes include the establishment of peace in the Great Lakes region and the reestablishment of civil governance in the eastern DRC.

This event, serving as a follow up to a previous Africa Center event, The road to investment, peace, and security in the DRC, held in partnership with Rawbank during the 2024 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, will include a series of conversations with leaders from the private, government, and humanitarian sectors on the pathways to renewed peace and prosperity in the Congo.

The Africa Center has a dedicated workstream on the DRC that focuses on highlighting unique opportunities—for investment, partnership, engagement, and more—in the country, as well as a Critical Minerals Task Force that serves as a leading platform for research and discussion on the burgeoning critical mineral partnership between African countries and the United States.