The sanctions announcement foregrounds abuses: forced labor, sexual violence, killings, and displacement.
This human rights framing is consistent with the State and Treasury Departments’ pattern of using humanitarian narratives to legitimize interventions in resource-rich zones.
Historically, such narratives have served dual purposes: The U.
S. has a deep and controversial history in the DRC: Present Dynamics: Resource Security in a Multipolar Era By striking Hong Kong–based companies linked to PARECO-FF’s minerals, OFAC is both disrupting militia revenue streams and sending a signal to Chinese intermediaries that conflict-linked minerals are a red line in U.
S. trade policy.
From uranium for the Manhattan Project to cobalt for EV batteries, U.
S. engagement in the Congo has rarely been resource-neutral.
The August 12 sanctions reinforce a pattern: In short, while Washington’s public line is about saving lives and stopping abuses, the deeper current is about securing the minerals that power America’s technological and military edge — a continuity that stretches from Lumumba’s time to the cobalt wars of today.
S. –Congo Minerals & Policy: A Timeline (1940s–2025) 1942–45 — Shinkolobwe & the BombUranium from Shinkolobwe mine (Katanga) supplies the Manhattan Project—cementing Congo’s minerals as a U.
S. strategic interest. 1960 — Independence, Crisis, Cold WarCongo gains independence; copper/cobalt-rich Katanga secedes.
S. views the country through an anti-Soviet, resource-security lens.
Jan 1961 — Lumumba AssassinatedPatrice Lumumba is killed amid superpower intrigue.
S. policy tilts toward any “stable” arrangement that preserves Western access to minerals. 1965–97 — Mobutu EraU.
S. backs Mobutu Sese Seko despite kleptocracy, prioritizing Cold War alignment and steady flows of copper, cobalt, and industrial minerals. 1977–78 — Shaba (Katanga) WarsFighting in mineral heartlands prompts Western (incl.
S. ) support for Mobutu—stability framed as essential for global supply. 1996–2003 — Congo Wars I & IIRegionalized wars over territory and resources (coltan, gold, tin).
S. backs peacekeeping/diplomacy while manufacturers quietly diversify supply chains. 2010 — Dodd–Frank §1502U.
S. law targets “conflict minerals” (3TG: tin, tungsten, tantalum + gold).
Human-rights language meets a push for cleaner, predictable supply chains. 2013–16 — Compliance EraSEC rules, audits, and corporate reporting begin reshaping electronics sourcing; Congo’s artisanal sector is partially squeezed toward traceability. 2018–22 — Cobalt Supercycle & China’s RiseGlobal EV boom spotlights DRC cobalt; Chinese firms expand stakes in copper–cobalt belts.
S. shifts to “critical minerals” strategy and friend-shoring. 🔗 Read Full Article
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