Trump Administration Seizes Congo's Cobalt Assets Through Ex-Military Firm Virtus Minerals

US-backed Virtus Minerals, founded by former Green Beret Phil Braun, acquired Congolese cobalt producer Chemaf on April 1, 2026, for just $30 million — after Congo's President Tshisekedi fired two Gecamines leaders who opposed the deal. The acquisition, backed by $720 million in US development finance, is the first concrete outcome of the US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement signed December 4, 2025, which grants American firms preferential access to Congo's critical minerals while Congolese lawyers challenge the agreement's constitutionality.

By Global Village News Staff

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