Trump Ally Eyes $500 Million Deal in Peace Plan for DR Congo

Global financier and longtime Trump associate Gentry Beach is reportedly negotiating for control of the Rubaya coltan mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Trump administration-backed initiative, accompanied by support from a consortium including the Swiss trading house Mercuria, shows the current preference for the US engagement with Africa through high-stakes investment deals rather than traditional diplomacy.

The US views these deals as a means to mitigate China's strategic dominance in Africa's mineral supply chains. "When the US stepped in, they wanted to frame their approach to a peace settlement differently than in the past," said one regional participant, quoted anonymously by the Financial Times. "They were looking at what the business and economic side of the deal would be that allows this region to prosper, so we don't get back into this all over."

The US-led negotiations aim to broker a peace deal between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, whose backing of the M23 rebel group has fueled violence in eastern Congo. The talks include a proposed ceasefire and militia disarmament, with a draft agreement endorsed last week by the foreign ministers of both countries.

As reported by the Financial Times, the Rubaya mine is central to these efforts, potentially requiring over $500 million in investment, and is envisioned as a future legal export hub via a new smelter in Rwanda.

Beach, a former Morgan Stanley investment banker, a seasoned hedge fund manager, and a finance co-chair of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, is the distinctive name in the Rubaya deal. Notably, he has previous experience in the region, having participated in a 2004 mining venture with the late NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. Although Beach is close friends with Donald Trump Jr., the Trump family has no direct involvement in the Rubaya project, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Rubaya is among the most lucrative coltan deposits in the world. Coltan (short for columbite-tantalite) yields tantalum and niobium, critical elements in smartphones, aircraft engines, and missile components. In 2023, the DRC supplied roughly 40% of global coltan, according to the US Geological Survey. The mine has been a focal point in eastern Congo's decades-long conflict and was recently seized by M23 rebels, who have taxed its production.

Beyond coltan, the region is also rich in copper, cobalt, and gold, all of which are important to global clean energy supply chains. Recent initiatives include those of Blackwater founder Erik Prince, who was connected to a security deal involving copper assets in the Katanga region.

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