Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo – In cities in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), home to some of the world’s largest cobalt and copper reserves, eyes are on the outcome of a meeting happening thousands of kilometres away.In Washington, DC, on Wednesday, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, where delegations from 50 countries including the DRC will discuss efforts to strengthen and diversify mineral supply chains as the US seeks to counter China’s global dominance in the sector.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listAs part of a “resources-for-security” type deal agreed last year, the US signed a mining agreement with Kinshasa’s government to secure supplies of components essential to its technological innovation, economic power, and national security.While Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has touted the economic benefits of the endeavour, many in the country’s mining epicentre – trapped between poverty and armed violence – see only further oppression on the horizon.“We are exploited in mineral extraction,” said Gerard Buunda, an economics student in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which is a significant source of the world’s coltan, tin and gold resouces. “There are investors who make us work; sometimes they chase us off our land and force us to work for them in their mines for their own selfish interests.“We don’t want to be exploited any more.”Buunda, 28, who was born not far from the mineral-rich city of Rubaya, condemns what he s …
