Rubaya Mine Under U.S. Oversight: Why Kigali Would Struggle to Justify Opposition   The proposed transfer of operational oversight of the Rubaya mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States marks a potentially decisive shift in one of Central Africa's most contentious economic and security flashpoints. Located in North Kivu province, the Rubaya site is one of the world's most significant sources of coltan, a mineral essential to global electronics supply chains. For months, the area has been associated with the presence of armed actors, including the rebel group M23. Rwanda has repeatedly justified its regional posture by pointing to security threats posed by the FDLR, an armed group with roots in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide. However, if the mine were to come under transparent U.S.-backed administration as part of a broader cooperation framework between Kinshasa and Washington, Kigali would face limited diplomatic grounds to...

Rwanda's Security Argument Under Scrutiny Rwanda, under President Paul Kagame, has consistently framed its involvement in eastern Congo as a defensive posture aimed at neutralising the FDLR. The security concerns Kigali articulates are not new, nor are they entirely fabricated; cross-border militia dynamics have long complicated Great Lakes politics. However, if Rubaya were placed under structured U.S.-Congolese cooperation, the narrative would shift substantially. A transparent, internationally supervised mining regime would remove the ambiguity surrounding mineral flows. If Rwanda's position is genuinely centred on neutralising armed threats rather than benefiting from mineral trade networks, then an American-administered structure should theoretically be welcomed, not resisted. The United States would not operate as a partisan actor in favour of Kinshasa alone. Its interest would lie in stabilising mineral supply chains critical to Western tech...

  Kagame's Refusal to Reopen Goma Airport: A Security Measure or Strategic Leverage?   The continued closure of Goma International Airport to humanitarian and commercial flights, and its effective removal from the operational control of Kinshasa, raises a central question in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo crisis: does maintaining the airport shut genuinely serve the objective of pursuing the FDLR, or does it reflect a broader strategic calculation? Rwanda's leadership, under President Paul Kagame, has consistently framed its posture in eastern Congo as a defensive necessity aimed at neutralising the FDLR. Security concerns in the Great Lakes region are not fictional; the history of armed groups operating across porous borders is well documented. However, policy coherence matters. Measures taken in the name of security must logically degrade the capacity of the identified threat. Closing Goma airport does not meet that test. The Strateg...

Goma Airport Should Function Under MONUSCO Control Placing Goma International Airport under the operational supervision of MONUSCO while restoring full humanitarian and commercial functionality would represent a pragmatic compromise in the current crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Such an arrangement would achieve three objectives simultaneously: Protect civilian and humanitarian access Address stated security concerns Reinforce Congolese sovereignty This is not a radical proposal. It is a stabilisation mechanism. Why MONUSCO Control Makes Strategic Sense MONUSCO is already mandated by the United Nations Security Council to support civilian protection and stabilisation in eastern Congo. It operates aircraft, maintains secure perimeters, and coordinates closely with humanitarian actors. Transferring temporary operational oversight of Goma airport to MONUSCO while allowing flights to resume would: Re...

La mine de Rubaya : souveraineté congolaise, occupation armée et cadre de coopération RDC–États-Unis La mine de Rubaya, située dans le territoire de Masisi au Nord-Kivu, dans l'est de la République démocratique du Congo, est une ressource congolaise. Elle l'était avant l'avance du M23, elle l'est aujourd'hui, et elle le restera quelles que soient les revendications, les insinuations ou les manœuvres de tout acteur régional. Ce n'est pas une position politique. C'est une affirmation du droit international et du droit souverain. Ce point fondamental doit être énoncé clairement, car il est trop souvent obscurci dans les discussions sur le conflit dans l'est du Congo. Les débats sur les narratifs sécuritaires, les partenariats miniers et les alignements géopolitiques risquent de créer la fausse impression que la propriété ou la gouvernance de Rubaya serait, d'une façon ou d'une autre, ouverte à la négociation entre parties extérie...