The United States has made the proposed transaction between Glencore and the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium a top priority in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On March 19, 2026, Nick Checker, a senior official at the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, said completing the deal was one of three “foundational” projects for implementing the strategic partnership between Washington and Kinshasa.

On Feb. 3, 2026, Glencore said it had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Orion Critical Mineral Consortium (Orion CMC) for the potential acquisition of a 40% stake in Mutanda Mining (MUMI) and Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), two major assets in Lualaba province. Glencore said both companies would remain operated by the group if the transaction is completed.

The two sites account for a significant share of Congo’s copper and cobalt output. According to Glencore, MUMI and KCC together produced about 247,800 metric tons of copper and 33,500 metric tons of contained cobalt in 2025.

Washington sees the deal as a way to strengthen the security of its critical mineral supply chains. The move is part of the strategic partnership signed on Dec. 4, 2025, between the United States and the DRC, focused on copper, cobalt and other minerals deemed essential for industry, batteries and defense.

Launched in October 2025, Orion CMC is led by Orion Resource Partners in partnership with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The consortium has $1.8 billion in initial investment capacity, backed by Orion, the DFC and ADQ, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.

U.S. officials say completing the deal would both help secure supply chains and signal to private investors the appeal of Congo’s mining sector.

Ronsard Luabeya