Special Defense Dialogue negotiates with hostile militias to secure peace.

But can they reach an agreement, or is consensus a rosy fantasy? Perhaps America has the first say.

The Minister of Iran speaks passionately about the definition of terrorism. SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL 

On the second day of the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue, M23 rebels, a militant force within Rwanda, engaged in further skirmishes with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, coinciding with Rwanda’s exit from the Central African Bloc.

The Dialogue was taken aback by this news, with numerous delegates referencing previous bombardments that had happened in Russia before this update. According to the Minister of Indonesia, “Now is not the time to discuss [PMCs]. This is a clear case of state-funded terrorism”. Indeed, investigations have shown that the Rwandan state has sanctioned the actions of these militants, even acting as a champion of the violence occuring at the border. 

Numerous ministers condemned the actions occurring at the border, with some championing interventions within the region to quell the unrest. Of note was the initiative from the United Kingdom, involving international peacekeepers to conduct “sovereign military operations” in border regions. Russia, in a statement to the press, seemed to legitimize the Wagner group, previously defined as a terrorist organisation, as a reliable actor in suppressing the rebels. 

However, ministers from Iran and Vietnam contested the existing definitions of terrorism, claiming it was not defined by intent, rather by the methods. Contentions like these hampered the ability of the dialogue to come to a swift conclusion on the matter, while the situation on the ground worsens. 

Why the Congo? 

Since the early 19th century, the Congo and its neighbouring states have been of special interest in the eye of the American market. As one of the few states America retains deep international ties with, the Congo acts as an important foothold for the expansion of American industry within the African region. The Congo is also a rare instance of a trade surplus nation for America, with a net 196.9 USD surplus in trade in 2024, an immense increase of 304.7% from previous years. 

Of particular significance is the abundance of raw materials within the Republic, with the largest exports being of raw and refined copper, essential components in the manufacturing sector of heavy industry. Additionally, America has also invested heavily in the welfare of the Congolese, with over 100 billion invested in USAID dividends and manpower to strengthen state institutions within the nations as well as to uphold the rule of law.

American talent development sectors are also heavily invested within the Congo, with many agencies deeply invested within the Congolese as a source of upskilled labour. An example is the 18-month program for the development of medical talent held in 2013. 

A chart of export and import sectors between the US and the Republic of the Congo. SOURCE: OEC

A conflict, or worse, takeover of the Congo, would spell misfortune for the expanding industries within the country. What’s even worse is that the border of Congo and Rwanda are the areas richest in silver and copper deposits, making even the slightest disturbance in peace a great blow to American importers. 

Hence, the impetus is on the Dialogue to come up with a swift resolution to the matter, lest the international market suffer the consequences of war in the Central African region. However, to this day, the risk of a foreign intervention by Russia and China looms over the African state, and the Dialogue tussles over who gets to put soldiers on the ground.

With the pushing of a peace deal this month between the two nations by the U.S. foreign Envoy, it seems America has already left the Dialogue behind in pursuit of everlasting peace and prosperity. The protection of U.S. commercial interests within the region has finally crossed the mind of the foreign department, however ironic this lone course of action may be.

Written by Klaus Lucas Yeo, Yee Min En, and Bethany Mary Piper

Bibliography

Dizolele, Mvemba. “Resetting U.S. Engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Csis.org, 2024.

https://www.csis.org/analysis/resetting-us-engagement-democratic-republic-congo.

The Observatory of Economic Complexity. “Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD) and United States (USA) Trade,” n.d.

https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/cod/partner/usa.

U.S. Embassy Kinshasa. “U.S. Engagement in the DRC.” U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, March 4, 2024.

https://cd.usembassy.gov/us-engagement-in-the-drc/.