Facebook Bankable LinkedIn Bankable
Twitter Bankable WhatsApp Bankable
Bankable
Bankable

MOST READ

African Economies

Critical Minerals: Pascal Agboyibor Appointed as Negotiator in US-DRC Talks

Critical Minerals: Pascal Agboyibor Appointed as Negotiator in US-DRC Talks

Pascal Agboyibor, a Franco-Togolese business lawyer, has been appointed as one of the 22 members of the strategic coordination unit overseeing the mining partnership negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States. His appointment was formalized in decision no. 25/020 on May 12, 2025, establishing this unit to monitor negotiations and implement the critical minerals agreement.

The unit comprises three entities: management, a technical secretariat, and a group of experts. Agboyibor is the sole lawyer on the management team, which includes key state officials such as Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, Chief of Staff to the President; Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner; Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba; and the chairmen of Gécamines and Arecoms, Guy-Robert Lukama and Patrick Mpoyi Luabeya, respectively.

Founder of Asafo & Co, Agboyibor is recognized as one of Africa’s most influential lawyers in mining, energy, and infrastructure. He frequently advises on sovereign financing, public-private partnerships, and transactions involving multilateral institutions. He has been active in the DRC for several years, notably advising the government during the renegotiation of the partnership between Gécamines and Chinese group CMOC over the Tenke Fungurume mine, which resulted in an $800 million settlement favoring the Congolese state-owned company.

In 2024, Agboyibor was named the most influential lawyer in the French-speaking world for the fourth time by Africa Business+, a recognition based on the complexity and sensitivity of his cases. The magazine highlights his role in supporting and defending the Congolese state and Gécamines against foreign operators.

Led by Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, the unit coordinates preparatory work, harmonizes positions among Congolese institutions, and ensures compliance with commitments under the bilateral agreement. The partnership aims to secure US access to strategic Congolese minerals—cobalt, lithium, and coltan—in exchange for increased political support to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC. According to the Financial Times, the agreement could be signed by the end of June 2025.

Boaz Kabeya (intern)

Subscribe to our newsletter (free)

Receive daily news and analyses from the Bankable editorial team.

 
 
drc-uganda-set-to-pave-key-kasindi-corridor-in-2026
Asphalting work on the Kasindi-Beni (80 km) and Beni-Butembo (54 km) road sections in North Kivu province will start in the first quarter of 2026. Steven...
drc-turns-to-banks-to-finance-civil-servants-retirement-packages
The Democratic Republic of Congo is considering a partnership with commercial banks to help finance end-of-career benefits for civil servants eligible for...
loncor-gold-receives-unsolicited-offer-amid-adumbi-gold-project-developments-in-dr-congo
Highlights: • Loncor Gold has received a non-binding, unsolicited proposal from a third-party investor.• A special committee has been appointed to...
kinshasa-cement-prices-drop-over-50-after-truckers-strike-ends
Highlights: • Price of a 50kg cement bag drops from 60,000 FC to 31,000–33,000 FC• Supply disruptions caused by May–June truckers' strike now resolved•...

African Economies

MOST READ

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.