Explainers
The US-DRC Strategic Partnership, explained from the ground up. Start with the overview, then read the pieces in any order. No subscription required.
The US-DRC Strategic Partnership
Read the overview-
01
What Does the US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement Cover?
What the US-DRC Strategic Partnership covers, explained: the four areas of cooperation, why it is not only a minerals deal, and what the agreement does and does not do.
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02
Who Signed the US-DRC Strategic Partnership, and Who Are the Key Players?
Who signed the US-DRC Strategic Partnership and who runs it, explained: the two governments, the agencies and financiers on each side, and who is allowed to invest.
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03
How Is the US-DRC Strategic Partnership Different From China’s Approach?
The US-DRC Strategic Partnership versus China's approach in the Congo, explained: barter against rules, why owning the mines is not enough, and which model has delivered.
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04
What Is the Strategic Asset Reserve (SAR)?
The Strategic Asset Reserve, explained: how the US-DRC Strategic Partnership decides which Congolese mineral assets US investors see first, and the first-offer clock on each one.
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05
What Is a Qualifying Strategic Project (QSP)?
The Qualifying Strategic Project, explained: the ownership and control test under the US-DRC Strategic Partnership, the twenty-year equity clock, and how it differs from the SAR.
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06
What Does Article XII Require, and How Does the Reform Clock Work?
Article XII of the US-DRC Strategic Partnership, explained: the reforms the Congo must enact, the twelve-month clock and its two deadlines, and why these reforms matter.
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07
What Is the Joint Steering Committee (JSC)?
The Joint Steering Committee, explained: the ten-member body that runs the US-DRC Strategic Partnership, what it decides, why consensus matters, and why it is the body to watch.
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08
What Is the Lobito Corridor, and Why Does the SPA Depend on It?
The Lobito Corridor, explained: the railway the US-DRC Strategic Partnership names as its export spine, the five-year volume targets, and why it turns Congolese metal west.
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09
Where Is the Money in the US-DRC Strategic Partnership?
How the US-DRC Strategic Partnership is financed, explained: why the agreement carries no money, where the capital actually comes from, and why that makes it a door, not a bank.
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10
How Is the US-DRC Strategic Partnership Enforced?
How the US-DRC Strategic Partnership is enforced, explained: why it has no penalty clause, what happens if commitments are missed, and where the real teeth actually sit.