{"id":8339,"date":"2026-03-18T18:57:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T16:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/?p=8339"},"modified":"2026-04-18T23:22:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:22:37","slug":"drc-plundering-the-washington-mineral-deal-compromised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/2026\/03\/18\/drc-plundering-the-washington-mineral-deal-compromised\/","title":{"rendered":"DRC Plunder: The Washington Mineral deal compromised"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kinshasa resembles a war zone after every flood\u2014a direct consequence of the embezzlement of World Bank funds intended for vital infrastructure and drainage maintenance | Photo Armel Gatumba, ACP<\/p>\n

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Special Report by Claude Ndahiriwe<\/em><\/h3>\n

The Tshisekedi \u201cSprint\u201d\u2014How the DRC\u2019s New Elite Outpaced the Kleptocrats of the Past. Under international money-laundering investigation, the Clan has ignited a calculated chaos\u2014integrating genocidaire militias and weaponizing xenophobia as a strategic smoke screen operation.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

When F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi took the oath of office in 2019, promising a “rule of law” and the end of the “predatory system,” many hoped the Democratic Republic of Congo was finally closing the chapter on the institutionalized looting that defined the Mobutu era.<\/p>\n

Seven years and two mandates later, the evidence suggests otherwise. Investigations by La Libre Belgique<\/span>, other regional news outlets, and a landmark legal complaint in Brussels reveal a sobering reality: President Tshisekedi and his inner circle\u2014the “Kasai Clan”\u2014have not only inherited the governance failures of their predecessors but have significantly accelerated the scale of embezzlement and asset seizure. In just two mandates, the “Tshisekedi Sprint” has arguably outstripped the wealth accumulation of leaders who took decades to build their empires.<\/p>\n

The Heir to Mobutu\u2019s Masterpiece<\/span><\/p>\n

The blueprint for poor governance in the DRC was drafted by Mobutu Sese Seko<\/span>, the “mastermind” installed and sustained by U.S. Cold War interests. Mobutu\u2019s legacy was the “privatization of the state,” where the treasury existed solely to fund the presidential court.<\/p>\n

However, where Mobutu\u2019s looting was often erratic by hundreds of millions of Usd, the Kabilas\u2019 was systemic but slow, the Tshisekedi administration has refined the “Emergency Procedure” (Proc\u00e9dure d\u2019urgence)<\/span> into a high-speed vacuum for public funds. By bypassing the National Assembly and the public tender office, the Presidency has effectively decoupled the state budget from any form of oversight.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Young-fighter-with-the-FPP-AP-Patriotic-Front-for-Peace-Peoples-Army-at-the-group-s-headquarters-in-Mbwavinwa-Lubero-territory-DRC.-Alexis-Huguet-AFP-Al-Jazeera.webp” title_text=”Young fighter with the FPP AP Patriotic Front for Peace Peoples Army at the group s headquarters in Mbwavinwa Lubero territory DRC. Alexis Huguet AFP – Al Jazeera” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 A Stolen Generation: Millions of Congolese youth, aged 12 to 20, are forced into the depths of mines or the ranks of militias when they should be in the classroom |\u00a0 Young fighter with the FPP AP Patriotic Front for Peace Peoples Army at the group’s headquarters in Mbwavinwa Lubero territory DRC | Photo Alexis Huguet AFP – Al Jazeera<\/p>\n

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The “Over-Invoicing” Pandemic<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

The hallmark of the Tshisekedi era is the “Phantom Project”\u2014infrastructure that is either non-existent or priced at surreal margins. Few examples on thousands:<\/p>\n

The $300,000 Water Well:<\/span> In early 2024, the “Drilled Wells” scandal shocked the public. Documents revealed that the government paid nearly $298,000 per unit<\/span> for simple boreholes in Kinshasa\u2014a project that should have cost no more than $20,000.<\/p>\n

The Solar Lamp Posts:<\/span> Simultaneously, thousands of solar lamp posts were commissioned at a cost of roughly $5,000 each<\/span>, more than triple the international market rate.<\/p>\n

The Ghost Employee System:<\/span> A 2025 audit by the IGF (General Inspectorate of Finance)<\/span> revealed that the state pays $66 million monthly<\/span> to 145,000 “ghost” employees. These funds are reportedly siphoned to maintain the “patronage network” of the Kasai Clan.<\/p>\n

The “Sicomines” Black Hole:<\/span> Despite the 2024 “renegotiation” of the $7 billion minerals-for-infrastructure deal with China, billions remain unaccounted for. While the state claimed a victory for “Congolese interests,” watchdogs like Le Congo n’est pas \u00e0 vendre<\/span> (CNPAV) noted that nearly $2.8 billion in expected mining revenue<\/span> vanished between the state-owned G\u00e9camines and the central treasury.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Vidiye Tshimanga Scandal<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/b> A pivotal moment occurred when Tshisekedi\u2019s special advisor, Vidiye Tshimanga, was filmed offering a “fake” mining company unlimited access to minerals in exchange for a 20% stake for himself and “the boss” (the President).\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The $16.8 Billion Gap<\/strong>: A more recent audit (June 2025) by the DRC Court of Auditors\u2014covered extensively by La Libre Belgique<\/em> and Ecofin<\/em>\u2014visualizes a staggering $16.8 billion shortfall in underreported mining revenues between 2018 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Geography of Loss<\/strong>: The maps of embezzlement highlight the Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces as the “Red Zones” where the discrepancy is highest, particularly around industrial sites where “emergency contracts” bypass the central treasury.<\/p>\n

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The Clan\u2019s Seizure of Mineral “Tailings” and Billions of Subcontracting Projects<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the most brazen shift under Tshisekedi is the direct physical seizure of mineral assets by the “Presidential Clan.”<\/p>\n

The Katanga Tailings<\/strong>:<\/span><\/b> A 2025 report highlighted the illegal seizure of G\u00e9camines “tailings” (mineral waste rocks rich in copper and cobalt) worth an estimated <\/span>$320 billion<\/span><\/b>.<\/sup><\/source-footnote><\/span> It is alleged that members of the Tshisekedi family, in collaboration with Chinese and Indian partners, pay “access fees” (minimum $20 million) to presidential insiders like <\/span>General Christian Ndaywell<\/span><\/b> to bypass formal mining licenses. <\/span><\/p>\n

Subcontracting Monopoly<\/strong>:<\/b> The presidential family is accused of monopolizing the $10 billion-a-year subcontracting sector in the mining industry, effectively taxing every major private operation in the country through front companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Francophonie Games (2023\u20132024)<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/b> Originally budgeted at $48 million, the cost of hosting the games in Kinshasa spiraled to <\/span>$324 million<\/span><\/b>.<\/sup><\/source-footnote><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

According to the July 2025 complaint filed in Brussels by lawyers Bernard and Brieuc Maingain<\/span>, nine members of the “Tshisekedi Clan” with Belgian nationality\u2014including First Lady Denise Nyakeru<\/span> and the President’s brothers, Jacques and Christian<\/span>\u2014are implicated in a massive money-laundering circuit. These “tailings” are reportedly being exploited via private front companies, with “facilitation fees” flowing into private accounts in Dubai and Brussels.<\/p>\n

Ghost Employees<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/b> An IGF audit in 2024\u20132025 revealed that the state payroll was being bled of <\/span>$66 million every month<\/span><\/b> through 145,000 “ghost” employees\u2014fictitious names that allow high-ranking officials to siphon off salaries meant for teachers, soldiers, and doctors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Presidential Spending<\/strong>:<\/b> In 2022, data showed the Congolese presidency spent <\/span>$41 million in a single month<\/span><\/b>, significantly higher than the monthly budgets of major European presidencies.<\/sup><\/source-footnote><\/span> This includes frequent international travel (over 100 trips in his first term) with massive delegations receiving generous per diems.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

“Congo Hold-up” Continuit<\/strong>y:<\/b> Although the Congo Hold-up<\/i> leaks primarily targeted the Kabila era, media investigations in 2025 suggest the same mechanisms\u2014using banks like BGFIBank DRC<\/b> to move unexplained millions\u2014continue under the current leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Alain-Libondo-17-left-and-Nsinku-Zihindula-25-hammering-a-rock-to-find-cassiterite-and-coltan-at-Szibira-South-Kivu.-Photo-by-Tom-Stoddart-via-Getty-Images-1024×512.jpg” title_text=”Alain Libondo (17) left, and Nsinku Zihindula (25), hammering a rock to find cassiterite and coltan at Szibira, South Kivu. Photo by Tom Stoddart via Getty Images” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” header_font=”|600|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

KOLWEZI DRC – Miners pull up a bag of cobalt their colleague is digging underground inside the CDM (Congo DongFang Mining) Kasulo Mines | Photo Sebastian Meyer – Fortune<\/p>\n

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The Washington Deal: A Premise Compromised at the Source<\/span><\/p>\n

The US-DRC “Washington Accords” on critical minerals, heralded as a way to secure the Western EV supply chain, are now seen as fundamentally compromised. The U.S. strategy seeks a “transparent” source of minerals, but the practical reality is that the gatekeepers of these minerals are the very people named in the Brussels embezzlement complaint.<\/p>\n

The Strategic Asset Reserve (SAR)<\/span>, managed by the Presidency, allows the clan to “reserve” the most valuable areas for themselves, only to “flip” them to American firms in exchange for private payouts.<\/p>\n

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A convenient Distraction: The Human Cost of the Sprint<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, the “Tshisekedi Sprint” represents more than just a fiscal tragedy; it is the fuel for a perpetual cycle of violence. The catastrophic governance of Tshisekedi, mirroring the patterns of his predecessors, has directly fueled the rise of over 100 armed rebellions across the country. By hollowing out the professional military and administrative structures, the state has created a security vacuum that it often attempts to fill by welcoming and integrating genocidaire militias<\/span> into national defense coalitions.<\/p>\n

To sustain this system of predation, the administration has increasingly weaponized xenophobic rhetoric and ethnic scapegoating<\/span>. This promotion of “hate-speech as policy” has served as a convenient distraction from high-level embezzlement, but it has had lethal consequences\u2014directly inciting massacres in minority communities<\/span> and deepening the regional divide.<\/p>\n

As the Belgian courts<\/strong> move forward with the investigation into the “Brussels Nine,”<\/strong> the international community faces a hard truth: the “Washington Deal”<\/strong> is not just financially risky, but economically, juridically, socially unsustainable due to the modus operandi of Felix Tshisekedi and his clan<\/strong>; it is built on a foundation of a nationwide predation and human rights abuses that trade the lives and safety of the Congolese in general, and of Congolese minorities for the convenience of a critical minerals supply chain. The “Sprint” has not just outpaced the kleptocrats of the past; it has left the Congolese people further from peace and prosperity than ever before.<\/p>\n

Updated on 21 March 2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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