President Donald Trump’s ambitious plan to secure mineral wealth from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has collided with the brutal reality of Africa’s deadliest conflict, where thousands of miners risk their lives daily in rebel-controlled coltan mines that sit at the heart of global technology supply chains.
The Rubaya mine in eastern DRC, which produces an estimated 15 percent of the world’s coltan supply, has become ground zero for Trump’s controversial “security for minerals” deal with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi. The mineral is processed into tantalum, an essential component in smartphones, aircraft, and computing devices that Americans use every day.
But the path to those riches runs through one of the world’s most dangerous mining operations. More than 400 people died in massive landslides at Rubaya in late January, with over 200 more killed following a second collapse on March 3-4. Workers descend deep into makeshift shafts, earning a few dollars a day in conditions that regularly prove fatal.
The mine has been controlled since April 2024 by M23, a Rwanda-backed rebel group that has been collecting an estimated $800,000 a month from taxing the coltan output. An estimated 10,000 people work at the sprawling operation, where ventilation in the deep underground tunnels comes from household-style fans attached to makeshift duct pipes.
Trump brokered a peace deal between DRC and Rwanda in December 2025, positioning himself as both a dealmaker and a peacemaker in a region that has suffered through civil wars since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The conflict has forced millions of civilians to flee their homes over three decades.
“They spent a lot of time killing each other,” Trump said in December 2025. “And now they’re going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands and taking advantage of the United States of America economically.”
But Trump’s peace deal is unraveling. In late February 2026, Congolese forces launched a major assault on Rubaya, targeting the rebel-held town just weeks after it was reportedly added to a list of strategic assets offered to U.S. investors. A drone strike on February 24, killed senior M23 leader Willy Ngoma, the rebel militia’s main spokesperson and most visible face.
The assault reflects the Congolese government’s determination to reclaim control of mineral resources that rebel groups have exploited for decades with help from neighbouring armies. M23 has used its control of Rubaya to collect taxes from the town’s coltan trade, which is then sold in Rwanda and Burundi.
The competition for Congo’s mineral wealth extends beyond coltan. The country’s mines produce vast quantities of cobalt, copper, and other critical minerals, yet the population remains impoverished while foreign entities profit. China now controls a dominant position in the sector, with an estimated 87 percent of global processing and refining of critical minerals. Major corporations like Glencore also maintain significant operations in the country.
For the miners at Rubaya, the geopolitical maneuvering matters little. They continue descending into the earth daily, navigating shafts where temperatures soar and humidity approaches 100 percent, hoping to earn enough to support their families. The mine manager appointed by M23 oversees an operation that, despite its deadly conditions, attracts thousands because alternative employment is scarce in the war-ravaged region.
The role of Erik Prince, Trump supporter and founder of the now-defunct Blackwater security company, has added another layer of complexity. Prince’s private security force has deployed to eastern Congo, operating drones and supporting Congolese army operations against M23 positions around strategic towns, including Uvira.
As fighting continues around the mine and the death toll from both combat and mining disasters mounts, Trump’s vision of a peaceful, profitable partnership in Congo faces its sternest test. The president’s deal with President Tshisekedi has been challenged by the Congolese parliament, while M23 rebels show no signs of relinquishing control of their lucrative mining operations.
Whether Trump’s dealmaking approach can bring stability to a region that has defied decades of international intervention remains uncertain, but the stakes for global technology supply chains and Congolese lives could hardly be higher.