Strategic minerals and economic sovereignty in the DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo occupies a central position in global value chains for strategic minerals. Yet it remains marked by weak industrializationstructural dependence on exports of raw materials and persistent poverty. This book analyzes the political choices of the Congolese economic model in the era of globalization, through a critical study of the partnerships and economic agreements signed with the United States and the European Union.and economic agreements with the United States, and the associated dynamics of regional integration.Using a political economy approach, the author demonstrates that these agreements, presented as instruments of cooperation and development, tend to reproduce a modern mercantilism characterized by the externalization of added value and the weakening of national economic sovereignty. Finally, the book proposes alternative approaches based on local industrialization, technology transfer and more balanced international partnerships.and more balanced international partnerships.