DAKAR: An Ebola outbreak that has killed almost 800people in the Democratic Republic of Congo is disrupting companies and negotiations linked to a major US-backed minerals partnership there, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
One US-backed mining company in Congo said quarantine and other restrictions have not directly affected mining operations already running under the US-Congo Strategic Partnership Agreement.
But they were holding up discussions to expand the partnership — which was signed in 2025 in a bid to counter China’s own expanding investments in Congo’s vast copper and cobalt resources, a diplomat and two consultants advising on US investments said.
They were also creating logistical challenges as some suppliers, consultants and investors postpone visits, and making it more difficult to bring staff in and out of the country, the US-backed company said.
US AND CHINA EXPANDING MINERALS DEALS IN CONGO
