THE United States is in talks with conflict-plagued Congo over a mineral resources deal, an official from the Trump administration said yesterday.

US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa Massad Boulos did not provide details of the potential deal following talks with Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, but he said it could involve “multibillion-dollar investments.”

Mr Boulos said: “I am pleased to announce that the president and I have agreed on a path forward,” towards a deal.

He added that a deal would also benefit local economies.

Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and smartphones. It also has substantial gold, diamond and copper reserves.

President Tshisekedi said last month that he was open to a deal on developing critical minerals with Washington if US involvement could help quell insurgencies and boost security in the African country.

He told Fox TV: “I think that the US is able to use either pressure or sanctions to make sure that armed groups can be kept at bay.”

Eastern Congo has been in conflict for decades with more than 100 armed groups vying for control over the mineral-rich region near the border with Rwanda. 

The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with more than seven million people displaced.