© Illustration: Julien Pacaud; Photomontage - C. Ena/POOL/AFP ; E. Livingstone/AFP

In Focus | DRC
Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

By Clément Fayol and Olivier Liffran

Published on 21.05.2025 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 8 minutes

Faced with deadlock over the M23 rebels' capture of territory in the east of his country, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has turned to Donald Trump's administration to propose a $3tn deal in exchange for US protection.

A letter dated 8 February 2025 was handed over by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi to a messenger tasked with delivering it to the highest level of US President Donald Trump's administration. At that time, the M23 rebel movement controlled the DR Congo city of Goma, continuing its territorial conquest and threatening to destabilise the central government

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In Focus | DRC
Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

Faced with deadlock over the M23 rebels' capture of territory in the east of his country, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has turned to Donald Trump's administration to propose a $3tn deal in exchange for US protection.

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About Africa Intelligence

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Indigo Publications' websites

In Focus | DRC Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

Faced with deadlock over the M23 rebels' capture of territory in the east of his country, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has turned to Donald Trump's administration to propose a $3tn deal in exchange for US protection.

This article may be accessed by subscribers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

create a free account

Related topics to this article

Read also

Spotlight | DRC How Kinshasa rebalanced its strategic partnership with Washington

Burundi, DRC, Rwanda Spy chiefs intervene to get Burundian forces out of DRC

In Focus | Africa Massad Boulos, a free agent of Donald Trump's African diplomacy under close watch

Burundi, DRC, Rwanda The two consortiums in the running for Ruzizi III dam

DRC The Lebanese arms broker embarrassing Tshisekedi

DRC Tshisekedi's presidency organises its first DRC-US economic forum

DRC Closed-door negotiations in Washington over mining deal

DRC The delicate plan to digitise historical Congolese geological archives

DRC Kinshasa about to finalise "deal" with Washington

DRC, Rwanda Paris postpones humanitarian conference on eastern DRC

DRC Tshisekedi seeks to strengthen Entreprise Générale du Cobalt's monopoly

DRC The contours of peace deal between Kigali and Kinshasa take shape

DRC Mysterious arms broker held for months by military intelligence in Kinshasa

Spotlight | DRC, Rwanda Ruzizi III dam, 20%-owned by TotalEnergies, becomes key part of DRC peace talks

DRC US billionaire Erik Prince's firm hiring former French soldiers for security contract

DRC Taxman hits Glencore with record multi-billion-dollar bill

Spotlight | DRC Trump administration reluctant to strike minerals deal with Kinshasa

Spotlight | DRC Tshisekedi's brother's dealings in Lualaba province

Spotlight | DRC, Rwanda War in the east: Congolese and Rwandan intelligence services close to finalising agreement

DRC Gécamines tries to block Chemaf sale to Chinese firm

DRC Dan Gertler made a secret trip to meet Félix Tshisekedi before Antony Blinken's arrival

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

In Focus | DRC
Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

Spotlight | DRC
How Kinshasa rebalanced its strategic partnership with Washington

Burundi, DRC, Rwanda
Spy chiefs intervene to get Burundian forces out of DRC

In Focus | Africa
Massad Boulos, a free agent of Donald Trump's African diplomacy under close watch

Burundi, DRC, Rwanda
The two consortiums in the running for Ruzizi III dam

DRC
The Lebanese arms broker embarrassing Tshisekedi

DRC
Tshisekedi's presidency organises its first DRC-US economic forum

DRC
Closed-door negotiations in Washington over mining deal

DRC
The delicate plan to digitise historical Congolese geological archives

DRC
Kinshasa about to finalise "deal" with Washington

DRC, Rwanda
Paris postpones humanitarian conference on eastern DRC

DRC
Tshisekedi seeks to strengthen Entreprise Générale du Cobalt's monopoly

DRC
The contours of peace deal between Kigali and Kinshasa take shape

DRC
Mysterious arms broker held for months by military intelligence in Kinshasa

Spotlight | DRC, Rwanda
Ruzizi III dam, 20%-owned by TotalEnergies, becomes key part of DRC peace talks

DRC
US billionaire Erik Prince's firm hiring former French soldiers for security contract

DRC
Taxman hits Glencore with record multi-billion-dollar bill

Spotlight | DRC
Trump administration reluctant to strike minerals deal with Kinshasa

Spotlight | DRC
Tshisekedi's brother's dealings in Lualaba province

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War in the east: Congolese and Rwandan intelligence services close to finalising agreement

DRC
Gécamines tries to block Chemaf sale to Chinese firm

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Dan Gertler made a secret trip to meet Félix Tshisekedi before Antony Blinken's arrival