In a recent address outlining an “America First in Africa” approach, the U.S. State Department identified the acquisition of Chemaf SA (“Chemaf”) as one of three projects foundational to the implementation of the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement on critical minerals.
The Department stated:
One of the most important steps we’ve taken in this area came last year when the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement on critical minerals as part of the Washington Accords. That agreement reflects a new model for how we engage on minerals. Rather than simply extracting resources, we are working with partners to build secure, transparent, and commercially viable supply chains that benefit both our economies. In practical terms, that means supporting investments in infrastructure, logistics, and processing capacity so countries like the DRC can capture more value from their own resources. There are three projects that we view as foundational to the successful implementation of the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement. The Virtus-led consortium acquiring Chemaf’s cobalt and copper mines, the concession for the DRC side of the Lobito Corridor being granted to Mota-Engil, and the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium and Glencore finalizing their proposed transaction for Glencore’s mining assets in the DRC. These projects are testament to the private sector interest in the DRC created by the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement and with President Tshisekedi’s steadfast commitment and leadership we are optimistic these initial projects will be completed quickly.
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs
The State Department’s framing places Chemaf squarely within the U.S.-DRC bilateral framework on critical minerals. Chemaf is both investing and creating new opportunity in the DRC, and developing valuable supply chains per U.S. strategic objectives.
As a company, we value the trust placed in us by our partners in government and industry, and look forward to continuing to create opportunities for mutual benefit.
Read the full speech: https://www.state.gov/releases/bureau-of-african-affairs/2026/03/america-first-in-africa