Patrice Majondo Mwamba, a former NFL player who is running for president in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is warning that a major U.S.-Congo minerals partnership could be in trouble. In an interview, he said the Trump administration’s critical minerals approach in the DRC faces serious risks tied to poor governance in Kinshasa and the strength of Chinese influence in the country’s mining sector.
His argument centers on a familiar concern in Congo: valuable mineral resources can attract foreign interest, but weak institutions can make long-term deals unstable. Mwamba appears to be positioning himself as a candidate who believes political reform is essential if the DRC wants to turn global demand for critical minerals into a durable national advantage.
He also pointed to China’s dominant role as a major obstacle for any U.S.-backed strategy. That framing suggests he sees the minerals issue not only as an economic matter, but also as part of a broader geopolitical contest over supply chains, access to strategic resources, and outside influence in Central Africa.
Mwamba says he has a plan to keep the deal from failing, linking his presidential bid to a broader promise of better governance and a different approach in Kinshasa. While the full details of that plan were not included in the available excerpt, his message was clear: without political change inside Congo, even high-profile international minerals agreements could remain vulnerable.
