Congo's cobalt, great-power rivalry and the rise of Dan Gertler
Feb 22nd 2026
In December, President Trump hosted Rwanda and DRC leaders for a nonaggression pact linked to access to Congo's vast critical metals, while China’s dominant position and the controversial role of Israeli businessman Dan Gertler complicate U.S. efforts to secure supplies.
- President Trump hosted Rwanda's Paul Kagame and DRC's Félix Tshisekedi in December for a nonaggression pact tied to regional stability and economic cooperation.
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo supplies about 70 percent of the world’s cobalt and large quantities of copper used for batteries and green technologies.
- China controls much of the mining, refining, and production of Congo's critical metals despite U.S. pushes to expand American access.
- The Trump administration announced a plan to create a Congo-based metals reserve and to attract major U.S. companies to the sector.
- Dan Gertler is an Israeli businessman who built decades-long mining and political ties in Congo, starting with diamond deals in the late 1990s and later focusing on copper and cobalt.
- The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Gertler in 2017 over allegations of opaque and corrupt mining and oil deals in the DRC, and some U.S. lobbyists have pushed to lift those sanctions to counter Chinese influence.