▶ 0:00:05The hearing will come to order and I want to thank our very distinguished witnesses for being here today to share very valuable insights on next steps, what we can do to support the peace process between the DRC and Rwanda. My own engagement, like that of my good friend and former colleague Tony Hall, goes back many, many decades. Tony, as we all know, was a member of Congress. He chaired the Select Committee on Hunger.
▶ 0:00:33And also was our ambassador in Rome for food and did an amazing job there. I remember visiting him there a couple times when he was ambassador. And nobody was more robust and more aggressive in trying to ensure that people who are hungry got food to eat that was that was sufficient and and and strengthening to them. So, Tony, thank you for your work, too. It's been decades of it. Many decades and we have traveled together many times to Africa.
▶ 0:01:04So, it's great to see you again and I thank you. I thank both of our witnesses, all three. we are focusing on the obviously the um peace agreement accords, the Washington that were entered into um in early December and I was privileged to be with our chairman Mast in attendance as part of the audience to to see that historic signing with great hope and expectations and
▶ 0:01:34knowing that there would might be a number of roadblocks ahead and there have been as we know so well. But it's a start. It is a very significant start. Bringing both parties to negotiate at the same table was historic in and of itself. First time in modern history where such progress has been made on this conflict.
▶ 0:01:54Many deals were agreed to, economic and security benefits that they will be unleashed for the DRC, for Rwanda, and the US are very significant and will hopefully prove the quality of life for many who have suffered the ravaging the the terrible terrible consequences of war over these many years.
▶ 0:02:17Ensuring that all sides follow through on their commitments made at the signing in December is not only in the US national interest and it is but most importantly it's for the millions of people who suffer from that This is for future generations of Congolese and Rwandan children as well as those living today and for the memory of the some 6 million dead from this decades-long conflict a human toll that is both staggering and The urgency
▶ 0:02:47of this mission was brought home to us with the devastating clarity just a few days ago with another cowardly attack as a grim the peace has its enemies.
▶ 0:03:01This violence targeting a city that had long yearned for stability was a calculated attempt by the spoilers to shatter the hope generated by these It underscores exactly why this hearing and other hearings on the Senate side and other expressions of solidarity with the peace process why this is so and that we stand behind those who do want peace and security in those two countries.
▶ 0:03:29Regrettably past hearings have revealed that the international and US response has often not born results especially in the face of such violence. Today I do believe that is changing and our hope is that the president's initiative will bear fruits so that everyone could live with peace and tranquility. I have called this hearing today because there can continues to be very serious spoilers to the peace process. Belligerents who act to undermine and embarrass all parties including the United States.
▶ 0:03:59The Kisanji attack is then a symptom of this lingering rot. Our goal today is to ensure that all parties and all people understand that the benefits of the Washington Accords and the and and that the governments of Rwanda and DRC are clear on the steps that truly must be taken now in order to get there.
▶ 0:04:18The essentials are spelled out clearly in the regional economic integration framework mandating that the DRC and Rwanda develop a structured roadmap for economic integration covering mineral supply chains, infrastructure, energy and tourism.
▶ 0:04:34Critically, the Washington Accords include a four-phase concept of operations that both parties have agreed This is essential for Rwanda agreeing to pull troops back but only if the DRC follows a synchronized schedule to eliminate the FDLR militia.
▶ 0:04:50While the FDLR's genocidal ideology continues to be Rwanda's primary national security concern we also expect and demand that M23 and Rwanda take the measures to demobilize the combatants under their control. Durable peace cannot be built by governments alone. It requires the moral authority and ground level engagement of civil society particularly faith-based groups that I described in a resolution that I've introduced uh H. Res. 586.
▶ 0:05:20Their networks provide the full the truth-telling I should say. We need to ensure that the benefits of peace reach the poorest rather than just enriching the powerful. As such we must recognize the indispensable role of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo or CENCO and the Church of Christ in Congo ECC together with the African Time and again when political solutions faltered CENCO and ECC stepped in.
▶ 0:05:48We remember their pivotal leadership in brokering the Saint Sylvester agreement on New Year's Eve in 2016, which prevented the total collapse of the state and the 2025 social pact for peace and living together to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis and violence in the region.
▶ 0:06:06Today, as we implement and seek the implementation of the Washington Accords, groups like CENCO and ECC are not just observers, they are key in facilitating an inclusive national dialogue in the DRC that includes all the actors of civil society, religious confessions, political parties, and armed groups to promote social cohesion, national unity, and the principle of good governance.
▶ 0:06:30This morning, I met for about an hour and a half with the two leaders, uh Monsignor and Sheleg, uh and Pastor and Sangye, uh and hope and they were very optimistic but very realistic about the obstacles that are they are facing, and they want to play a very real role uh in doing this.
▶ 0:06:51Um they also spoke a great deal about the the African the president of Angola, President Lourenço, uh who is convening a dialogue, which hopefully will bear significant fruit. Hopefully, it will be get up and underway uh in this month. It is critical that voices are heard and respected and that the personal security of civil society actors are absolutely protected.
▶ 0:07:17As we implement these agreements, the US is also breaking its dependence on minerals that finance the Chinese Communist Party, often extracted through forced child labor and adult forced labor, uh and stopping indirectly supporting the CCP's efforts to fuel instability and regional conflict in President Trump's executive order, immediate measures to increase American mineral production, was a crucial step towards strengthening our domestic supply chains as in the Washington
▶ 0:07:47Accords. In 2023 and again in 2025, I held a series of hearings highlighting the greatest beneficiaries of the conflict and critical minerals system, China's state-owned mining companies. Um and we we we can't remain silent.
▶ 0:08:04We've got to confront this and I have introduced legislation HR 23 10, the Cobalt Supply Chain Act, which ensures that goods made using or containing cobalt refined in the PRC do not enter the United States market under the presumption that the cobalt is extracted or processed with the use of child and forced labor in the DRC. Uh we had four hearings on it.
▶ 0:08:29We heard from people who said, "This is what it's doing to the kids." Anywhere from 25 to 40,000 children who are working in these artisanal mines and also are getting sick. Sometimes the mine collapse. Sometimes they die. Uh and of course the adults are upwards of 200,000 are being coerced in these mines by the Chinese Communist Party to produce to produce. And where does it all go? It goes to a place where genocide is taking place under Xi Jinping.
▶ 0:08:59So, that has to end and it has to end now. Hopefully this agreement will preclude the need for such a bill. But if not, we've got to pass that legislation and end our complicity. When you buy an EV that has been made with child labor in the DR Congo. I'd like to yield to Ms. Jacobs for any opening comment. Well, thank you, Chairman Smith, for holding this hearing so we can hear from a panel of non-government witnesses after hearing from the State Department last month.
▶ 0:09:27And thank you to all of our witnesses for testifying before our committee today. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with 7.3 million internally displaced persons and over 7,000 people killed in 2025 alone. More than 26 million people are experiencing life-threatening levels of acute food insecurity. It's one of the most complex and long-standing humanitarian crises in the world.
▶ 0:09:53While the latest escalation between DRC and Rwanda started in 2022, various forms of conflict in eastern DRC have been ongoing for the last three And civilians have suffered the most under the current conflict, either being caught in the crossfire or being targeted by armed groups. Conflict-related sexual violence has reached epidemic levels in eastern DRC.
▶ 0:10:14Cases have continued to escalate this year, while impunity for its perpetrators, including the M23 and other armed groups and military forces, So, I do appreciate President Trump's high-level attention to this conflict that is too often ignored and put on the back burner. And I hope that that attention is sustained and not fleeting. But frankly, I have been offended by the president's statements that he has already ended the war between the DRC and Rwanda.
▶ 0:10:41We can all see that there is, in fact, no peace or stability on the ground at I've also been extremely concerned that the lack of consultation and inclusion of civil society and local communities is setting up the peace process to fail before it even gets off the ground.
▶ 0:10:58Only 5 days after the signing of the Washington Accords between President Tshisekedi and President Kagame, hosted by President Trump, the M23, co-located with the Rwandan military along the front lines, took over the strategic city of Uvira in South Kivu. And while M23 has partially retreated from Uvira, we still have not seen the full retreat to 75 km outside of Uvira, back to Kamanyola, as the United States called for in December.
▶ 0:11:25This is all on top of nearly a year of M23's occupation of Goma and Bukavu, two other extremely important cities in the Kivus, where civilians have faced atrocities, executions, and other And let me be clear. Both parties have made commitments that they have failed to maintain.
▶ 0:11:44Rwanda clearly continues to support the M23 and deploy its own forces, the latest numbers ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 troops in eastern Congo, not including the latest Uvira offensive in violation of the DRC's sovereignty. And the DRC military force part has reportedly continued collaboration with the forces for the liberation of Rwanda, a militia founded by the leaders of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in contravention of the accords.
▶ 0:12:10And despite Secretary Rubio and Ambassador Waltz's promises two months ago that they would use all the tools at our disposal to hold Rwanda accountable and quote "ensure promises made by Rwanda to the president are kept", the administration has still not announced any new sanctions or accountability measures against Rwanda or the M23.
▶ 0:12:30Just as I did last month during our hearing with the State Department, I urge the Trump administration to immediately make good on its promises to hold Rwanda and other spoilers to peace I also urge the administration to course-correct its exclusion of civil society from the peace process. Several studies have shown over the years that peace deals are more durable and lasting when civil society is involved, including a study that showed involving civil society reduces the risk of peace peace breaking down by 64%.
▶ 0:12:58So, we need the buy-in of local populations to ensure peace actually We also need to consult local populations on the various commercial deals in progress with the government of DRC to ensure that investments actually benefit the Congolese people, not just foreign companies and elites.
▶ 0:13:15And I continue to be alarmed by the devastating impacts of foreign assistance cuts in the DRC, and I urge the Trump administration to reverse these cuts and invest in new programs Earlier this year, Secretary Rubio and Dodge cut hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to the DRC as part of President Trump's sham foreign assistance review and illegal dismantling of USAID. Since the cuts to USAID, more than 8,200 people living in the DRC with HIV have lost access to life-saving treatment.
▶ 0:13:43Last year, there was a 62% increase in deaths due to cholera. And while there has been a surge in conflict-related sexual violence in eastern Congo, foreign assistance cuts have reduced the services available to survivors, including post-rape kits. And just in November, the World Food Program was forced to cut the number of people it assisted in DRC in half, from 1 million to 600,000 people.
▶ 0:14:07These cuts didn't make sense then, and they certainly don't make sense now while the president talks about the need for peace and saving lives in DRC. This isn't charity. The humanitarian crisis, weak governance, and exploitation taking place will continue to further exacerbate grievances and conflict if not addressed.
▶ 0:14:26I would like the president's peace agenda to be successful, but it's hard to believe it will be after he gutted our foreign policy tools and neglected to get dedicate the necessary senior staff and resources to make peace not just possible, but enduring. Meanwhile, the Congolese have not seen peace, only escalation over the past year, and they don't have time to wait. We need immediate action to hold the M23 and Rwanda accountable for their occupation in DRC and latest offensive in Uvira.
▶ 0:14:54We need immediate action to get the peace process back on track so that both the DRC and Rwanda uphold the commitments they have made, and we need the administration to invest in its own institutions and tools so that this process is successful. The Congolese people have endured violence, exploitation, and promises of peace for long enough.
▶ 0:15:13I strongly urge the United States, along with the rest of the international community, to recommit to this peace process and demonstrate seriousness about holding spoilers to peace So, I look forward to hearing from our expert witness panel to hear their perspectives and recommendations for Congress and the Trump Trump administration to realize lasting peace in the DRC. Thank you, Chairman Smith. I yield back.
▶ 0:15:33Thank you very much. Uh without objection, if any of our other panelists would like to submit a statement for the record, it will be so ordered. And then I would like to introduce our again our distinguished witnesses. Uh beginning first with um Ethan Ton, who is a policy analyst for American Security at the America First Policy Institute.
▶ 0:15:52Uh he has written extensively on these issues, brings to a a keen understanding of what is going on in Africa, and especially now in the DRC, and I thank him very much of uh for taking the time to be here. Your full uh vitae will be made a part of the record. I also want to introduce Tony Hall, uh former congressman from Ohio, 24 years as a member of the House, and then 10 years before that as a member of the legislature.
▶ 0:16:20Uh he is known uh and respected deeply for his work uh that he led so ably on here in the Congress and the House and Senate uh on hunger. Uh he became our ambassador on hunger uh in at the and served out of Rome for 3 years.
▶ 0:16:39Uh having I visited him there and I was just amazed at how not amazed, not surprised, how well respected he was by his peers uh because he brings a sense of urgency, comprehensive uh application of humanitarian law to everything he does. Uh we've traveled many times together along with Frank Wolf, uh and I just wanted to thank Tony again for doing this um Uh he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I think he should have gotten it.
▶ 0:17:09I mean, he is all about feeding the and taking the words given to us by our Lord, when I was hungry, did you feed me?" And he's done that his entire career and his entire life. Uh then we will hear from Christian Girard Nima, a non-resident scholar of the Africa program for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Uh and again, your full resume will be made a part of the record, but I want to thank you for coming. And uh Mr. Mr. the floor is yours.
▶ 0:17:40Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Jacobs, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the United States' efforts for the peace between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, the underlying factors behind the conflicts, and the responses of the United States and the international community. My name is Ethan Tan, and I serve as a policy analyst on the America American Security Team at the America First Policy Institute.
▶ 0:18:05Since the 1990s, armed conflict has burdened the eastern regions of the DRC, and repeated efforts to resolve the conflict have failed, stalling economic growth and allowing hostile actors to exploit the region's vast natural resources, all while blocking the United States from entering critical mineral supply chains.
▶ 0:18:23The United States recognizes the implications of these long-standing conflicts, and are as a result has led the movement towards a more holistic The United States has long played a role in supporting peace efforts across Africa through its diplomatic efforts, and the Washington Accords are no The framework mediates beyond the scope of past deals, working in tandem with the Doha framework signed last November, and involves regional oversight from the African Union.
▶ 0:18:48Integrating each element into the accords begins a new chapter for the conflict, one with genuine hope for peaceful resolution for the first time in decades. Peace is fragile, and fighting persists in the east, most notably in South Kivu and the city of Goma. Coordination with civil societies in the DRC and Rwanda, as well as partners in the African Union, is paramount to the accord's future successes.
▶ 0:19:13Nonetheless, in the two months since the signing of the accords, there have already been multiple wins, including regular meetings between officials of the DRC and Rwanda, implementation of African Union oversight teams along the eastern border, the creation of a framework for future joint infrastructure products, and acknowledgement from the from the Rwandan government that they have been engaged in security coordination with US diplomatic efforts have worked.
▶ 0:19:37US officials have been credited with successfully pressuring Rwanda and M23 to withdraw from their positions in New Vera, reinforcing their commitment to helping the DRC retain its territorial Subsequent aggressions will not be tolerated, and the State Department has been vocal about pursuing sanctions should they continue. These developments reduce risks to US interests in critical minerals from Africa, encapsulating a key tenant of an America First foreign policy, delivering tangible benefits to the American people.
▶ 0:20:06Stabilizing this region, a region that today contains over 70% of global cobalt, as well as proven reserves of coltan, copper, gold, lithium, and diamonds, secures American defense and manufacturing supply chains, and reduces import reliance from countries such as Investments from the United States into the DRC and Rwanda are not a side effect, but a welcome and even central aspect of enduring peace.
▶ 0:20:31Officials from both countries have approached the US, citing the US's ability to integrate them with a larger regional framework, and connect them to open markets in the west. And the deepening of the cooperation between the United States and both countries on this issue means that our adversaries have a diminished presence. Agreements also lay the groundwork for future US investment in infrastructure projects, such as the Sekiguchi corridor and the Banana Deep Water Port. These projects also seek to incorporate involvement from neighboring countries, namely Burundi and Uganda.
▶ 0:21:01The inclusion of the rest of the Great Lakes region will greater enable accountability and create connectivity across the region's economic landscape. Furthermore, long-term stability in the region allows for diverting taxpayer dollars away from never-ending peacekeeping missions and back towards the American people. I want to thank each of you for your attention to this important issue and for the subcommittee's efforts to supporting prosperity in Africa. While the signing of the Washington Accords is a monumental moment in the conflict's history, it is more than a formal declaration.
▶ 0:21:30It is an urgent appeal for action. Thank you for allowing me to share my perspective today. I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:21:37Thank you very much, [clears throat] Mr. Tan. I'd like to now recognize Ambassador Tony Hall. I I left this out, but I should have brought this out. He was one of the leaders, too, on trying to stop the importation of conflicted diamonds, blood diamonds, and I want to thank him for that. And I yield such time as he may consume.
▶ 0:22:25Is that on? Thank you, Chairman Smith. Can you hear me now? It's nice to be back in the Congress It's been a while. And um I remember in uh and as I look around the room, a lot of you weren't even born then.
▶ 0:22:56And in 1983, I had a good friend that used to come into my office and he would uh he would pray with me and I was a kind of a new believer and he would say, "Tony, don't you think it's time to bring your faith into politics?" And I said, "No, I don't want to do that." I said, "Because I don't I don't like politicians that uh
▶ 0:23:27wear it on their sleeve and then the next day they do something that's completely the opposite of it. I'd rather see a sermon and hear one." But uh I said, "I know what you mean. I I know what you mean, but I don't know how to do that.
▶ 0:23:41How do I bring my faith into my politics and do it in a way in which I'm comfortable?" And I had just become the chairman of uh the committee, the subcommittee on international hunger, and I was I was I went to the first place I went to was Ethiopia. And Ethiopia was experiencing an amazing famine in those days. Civil war, famine. And uh it was a tremendous problem.
▶ 0:24:11A million people had died even before I got there. I was the first I think elected official to go to Ethiopia in those days. I saw 25 children die one morning from hunger. I was traveling with Mother Teresa's group and we were traveling up country and 10,000 people were running for their lives in this particular area.
▶ 0:24:38they were so tired from running because of the civil war that they all laid down you know, some had been running for days, weeks. They were all dehydrated, sick, hungry. And uh the women were handing me their dead children. They thought maybe I was a doctor or and they wanted me to try to bring their dead children back to life.
▶ 0:25:05I thought, "What in the heck is going on here?" I never got over that. And so for three or four days, this is what I saw. I saw a lot of death. And I thought, "You know what? We do a lot of things in the Congress and um sometimes a lot of things we do are not worth much. But I said, "You know, this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to go back to the Congress. I'm going to travel.
▶ 0:25:31I'm going try to legislate, try to pass some legislation and help." And so this is what I've been doing since I've traveled to 130 nations and I've been involved with human rights and hunger and those kind of programs and I love it because I feel like I am at least trying to show a sermon rather than speak a Today I want to talk
▶ 0:26:01mostly about the children in the DRC. And um and the reason being is that they ought to be the primary beneficiaries of the peace accords, in my opinion.
▶ 0:26:18To secure the peace, it is critical that the sources which drive the conflict are And we all know that the ambitions to extract cobalt and other crucial minerals from the DRC have been driving much of the violence. And the second reason I'm here, I'm here on behalf of of many friends at Africa New Day and and 12 other nonprofit organizations that work in the DRC.
▶ 0:26:47They They are seeking to free these children. They are seeking to provide education and therapy and offer food, administer health care, find employment alternatives for their future.
▶ 0:27:02And third, I'm here on behalf of leaders from business, finance, and several members of other parliaments who look to this committee for partnership in creating an international framework that can support clean supply chains of critical minerals that provide economic prosperity and and a stronger governance for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
▶ 0:27:30You know, it's no secret and it's been known for more than 15 years that children are being exploited and trafficked in the mining of cobalt in the Congo. And hundreds of investigative journalists have documented the problem in print and electronic media. Dozens of reports have been written by the UN, Amnesty International, US and international universities.
▶ 0:27:57They all detailed the links between the corrupt mining practices, the commingling of raw materials, the processing of all far away from any transparent system for accountability.
▶ 0:28:13And we believe that at least 40,000 children and possibly possibly up to 200,000 children under the age of 12 are working in the mining sector of DRC earning less than $2 a day.
▶ 0:28:31Well over a decade of well-documented uh this committee this committee must recognize that the batteries made in China from the minerals extracted from the I call them blood batteries. Our cell phones, electric vehicles, they are subsidized by the labor of exploited people, especially children.
▶ 0:28:56And we must recognize there is a tremendous cost of human life in order for us to get cheap mobile phones. They are powered by cobalt and lithium and blood. These kids, you know, they're working 7 days a week. They're working 12 hours a day.
▶ 0:29:16And um they're working in conditions that are I I I've even heard that some of them are even 3 years old. A lot of them 6, 7, and 8 years old. They work without shoes. They have There are no safety conditions. And uh terrible conditions. 30 years ago, um Mr.
▶ 0:29:44Chairman, you and I we used to travel together and go to different countries and uh I uh in Sierra Leone, we we came uh face-to-face with conflict diamonds, what we we called them blood And um and they were what they were doing to children in in the Sierra Leone. And Angola.
▶ 0:30:13And and even in even in the But I remember in Sierra Leone, Frank Wolf and I Congressman former Congressman Frank Wolf and I, we traveled to the we traveled to Sierra Leone. We went to this refugee camp and um all the children in the refugee camp had something missing. You know, their hand was cut off. Their arm was cut off.
▶ 0:30:42Their ear was cut off, their nose was cut off. I said, "What is this? I've never seen anything like this." It was It was because of blood diamonds. And um these terrorist groups would come into these uh different places similar to what's going on in the Congo. They would terrorize these neighborhoods and small villages, and they would seize these diamonds.
▶ 0:31:10They would not be registered in the And these diamonds would find their ways Tiffany's, Cartier's. And um Americans bought 60% of these blood diamonds at one time. So, we we passed some legislation. You were part of that legislation. You and myself and Congressman Frank Wolf and it turned into the Kimberley Process.
▶ 0:31:35And um now, instead of people buying blood diamonds, only 60% of the Americans bought the blood diamonds, it's now down to 1%. And it was because of committees like So, uh eventually this led to the Kimberley Process, which has brought greater transparency to the supply And it kept
▶ 0:32:05pressures on the suppliers to ensure fair practices and protect the US consumers from supporting terrorism. The mining of cobalt and other critical minerals in the DRC, they're not clean. And the vast majority of the companies who profit from the products made with these minerals, they know. They know that the system is fueled by exploited labor.
▶ 0:32:35DRC has over 24 trillion dollars worth of mineral resources. It's not a million, it's not a billion, it's 24 trillion dollars worth of mineral resources which have yet to be tapped. Which, if developed, could unleash the most amazing economic development to the families and tribes and government of the DRC.
▶ 0:33:01However, for too long, local officials have colluded with corrupt foreign businesses who extract these minerals, which exploit labor to enrich and they deceive us, American consumers, Western nations.
▶ 0:33:19And sadly, instead of profiting from its wealth, the people of the DRC, they continue to live in deep poverty with 70% 73% of the 109 million people living below the international poverty line. So, I want to thank you, uh Mr.
▶ 0:33:39Chairman Representative Jacobs and members of the for considering how to improve the And certainly, a uh a political settlement is required. And and further, the committee should considering the the following actions. And a lot of this is in the legislation that you have introduced, uh Chairman Smith.
▶ 0:34:04Enforce through regulations a transparency requirement for cobalt and other critical minerals that enter the United States. Work with other governments to enact regulations so that there is a coordinated transparency mechanism for the critical mineral supply chain so that regulation reaches beyond just our markets, but all markets.
▶ 0:34:29Convene DRC and industry leaders to devise strategies that empower and sustain economic growth and stability for the long-term viability of of a secure and healthy future. And require US technology companies to adhere to clean supply chains and enforce it We also need to educate our people in America, our consumers.
▶ 0:34:59And I can talk more about that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ambassador Hall, thank you so very much for that leadership but it spans so many decades. It's been incredible. I'd like to now yield to Mr. Nima. Chairman, ranking members and members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to address the conflict in eastern DRC and the path forward for the Washington Accords. My core argument is quite simple.
▶ 0:35:26The Washington process and these agreements are significant diplomatic achievement. But the long-term the long-term success will depend on linking them to a broader political strategy that confront the internal drivers of instability in the DRC. First point, I would like to salute here the value of the Washington It is once again clarified Rwanda's role in supporting the M23 rebellion, in fact now publicly acknowledged by its own ambassador here in the US, though it was framed as security collaboration.
▶ 0:35:57Furthermore, its innovative regional economic integration framework, the REIF, incentivize peace linking stability and shared shared regional development. However, a key vulnerability is the non-inclusion of other regional countries in that framework, here being Uganda and Burundi, which are still intervening in the DRC for both security and economic Finally, the pressure that from this administration to have the M23 withdraw from Uvira early this year
▶ 0:36:28is a testament of the political leverage the US has had over the warring parties in this crisis. My second point, we must recognize the interconnection between different peace processes. The Washington processes address the bilateral crisis between DRC and Rwanda. At the same time, the Doha process has opened direct talks between the Congolese government and the M23. That is very important.
▶ 0:36:54It's recognize the existence the existence of an internal dynamic of the Congolese conflict. However, the progress remains quite slow in the Doha process. Why? Because it depend on the the dynamic on the Washington process. Kinshasa still hopes external pressure on Rwanda will change the military dynamic on the ground. At the same time, the M23 still calculates its military leverage based on the pressure that Washington will put on Rwanda to sustain the the crisis on the ground.
▶ 0:37:24Meanwhile, the African Union is working to find a way to implement the various resolution coming from Doha and Washington process. This fragmentation creates a an unclear accountability from different parties, a lack of measurable milestone, and an intended marginalization of the AU, the organization which is very much best positioned to address the conflict on the ground because the conflict is happening in Africa. Third, I'd like to ask to broaden our focus in this in this conflict.
▶ 0:37:53While Rwanda's interference in Eastern DRC is real and must be stopped, there's no debate about that. However, Rwanda is not the primary drivers of Congo instability. Stopping Rwanda alone does not solve the issue of proliferation of armed groups in the DRC, being the like the ADF. The ADF has been killing hundreds of people almost on on a weekly basis, but almost unreported.
▶ 0:38:18Or having the Codeco, the the Red Tabara, or the Wazalendo the Mobondo at the outskirts of Kinshasa. It will not solve the profound governance failure, corruptions, and weak institutions which allow these groups to regenerate and this conflict to reemerge after few years. For more than 20 years, the weakness these weaknesses have been the real drivers of instability in the country. Until they are addressed properly, peace agreement will remain fragile.
▶ 0:38:46The instability in Eastern DRC has for years evolved beyond the conflict mineral paradigm. Today, it's driven by local disputes, struggle over customary authority, community self-defense, and deep governance failures. Resource often finance violence, but they are not its main causes. So, the real question here is not only how to end this crisis, but how to prevent the next one to happen.
▶ 0:39:11Therefore, for the Washington Accord to have a lasting impact, US policymakers must take the decisive next step. The US should publicly and decisively support an African Union African Union-led facilitated Congolese dialogue. The goal here is not to engage the US in an endless state-building process in the DRC.
▶ 0:39:33This is not the US mission, but to use its considerable political leverage to champion a continental process that address the foundational crisis of governance, institution building, and national reconciliation in the DRC. This must include two non-negotiable elements. The meaningful inclusion of Congolese civil society. Chairman Miss have said that and represent and Rep.
▶ 0:39:57Jacobs also has mentioned that, particularly those coming from structural institution like the Catholic Church and the Protestant Church to to ensure societal buy-in into those process. Second, a component of justice and accountability, which has been missing in every agreement that you that that's been signed here in Washington. Peace without justice risk being seen as an elite deal fueling resentment and future cycle of violence.
▶ 0:40:24In conclusion, the Washington Accord and the reef provides a crucial foundation, but if we address only the M23 and cross-border issues with Rwanda, we will miss the deeper disease. The strategic partnership agreement and the reef will not survive if Congo internal fragility continues to undermine them. Partnership must be anchored in institutional and accountability, not in personalities or short-term politics.
▶ 0:40:53Finally, last lasting stability requires rebuilding the Congolese state itself by anchoring the Washington process within a supported AU-led comprehensive strategy, the US can ensure its own long-term interest both strategic partnership with the DRC and help achieve a peace that is both just and durable. Thank you. You very, very much. I have just to begin the the questioning
▶ 0:41:23Ambassador Hall on the cobalt issue, um the hope is that if this agreement were to truly bear the fruit that we all hope and pray that it will uh the need to pass legislation like mine, which I've been pushing now for several years becomes moot.
▶ 0:41:40You know, if if the cobalt stays in and the other minerals cultured and all the inside of DRC or are processed by a nearby friendly country uh that is not a human rights abuser like the nation uh you we will have achieved much and my hope is and I said this to President Tshisekedi when he met with a number of us last week that um we want the wealth uh to stay
▶ 0:42:10inside of DRC Republic of Congo, so that the people will benefit first and foremost. And that means the children, that means the the families. I mean, the the wealth is so extraordinary, uh and unfortunately, the the people who want to uh steal it uh by force and by deception uh are ever present. So, the hope is that that will happen.
▶ 0:42:34My bill would provide a rebuttable presumption that anything coming from China is inadmissible to the US. We know that the EV fleet that the Chinese is uh which is now growing in numbers every single day, for instance, in the EU, um is is a um huge money maker for Xi Uh so, he wants that cobalt in the worst way.
▶ 0:43:01Uh President Tshisekedi made it clear that he's trying to get a better deal, but I do believe that so long as uh which has no such thing as a foreign corrupt practices act like we do, uh is is is you can count on them uh engaging in this in a very corrupt and misleading way. And the fact of the matter is that the people of Congo are suffering because of it. So, I hope we can get our bill passed. I hope that the accord eclipses the reason to do it.
▶ 0:43:31Uh but you're right, and we need, and you might want to speak to this, just as you did with the blood diamonds, make American consumers especially aware that when you buy a diamond, know what its source is. Well, when you go and get go into one of Elon Musk's showrooms and you're buying one of his EVs, know what it is.
▶ 0:43:49Every time I see an EV on the road, every time, and there's a lot of them in this area, I think, how many children and how many adults were victimized in order to procure that cobalt coming out of uh coming out of China. Uh so, I I um you know, if somebody wants to drive an EV, that's you know, God bless them. All to them. All the power to them. But it's got to be with a supply chain that is not tainted in a way that this one is today.
▶ 0:44:17And and your number you just gave us of what 200,000 kids being hurt by the mining. I mean, that is just off the charts. Those kids aren't going to school. They're not getting good nutrition. And above all, they're being exploited by by these people. So um you know, that's something you might want to speak to in terms of making American consumers aware, other consumers as well.
▶ 0:44:41We've reached out to the Europeans and they're looking at legislation at the House of Commons and you helped to make that happen to do a bill similar to ours. You know, hopefully we share best Let cobalt come out of DRC, but let it be processed in a way that is absolutely above board. Secondly, I just want to ask about the MONUSCO. You know, the peacekeeping by that organization has been flawed over the decades, but it's still needed.
▶ 0:45:10I visited them when under Ambassador Swing. Little kids were being exploited, forced prostitution, but especially being exploited, 12, 13 year olds by the So I had four hearings. I went to Goma, visited with them, raised the issue profoundly and strongly and every other way I could think of it. And to his credit, Kofi Annan did a zero tolerance policy for the blue helmets.
▶ 0:45:38Six months later, I had another hearing and I said it's zero complaints with the zero tolerance policy. So we got to make sure that the peacekeepers one are very well vetted so that they're not engaging in in sexual predatory activity, especially against children, but all people, all women especially. But also that they have a they've been reauthorized. They were It was as we all know in December. The troop strength is is really significant.
▶ 0:46:06But I do remind myself and you know, MINUSCA has it on their their fact sheets. 304 of their soldiers have died in personnel. They also have police. So it's not without risk. But the rules of engagement have to be such in my opinion that they can help truly make the peace where necessary and so that comes down to leadership. I'm sorry to say that the South African nation has pulled its peacekeepers out.
▶ 0:46:34I think that was a very sad and tragic chain of events that has happened here by the president of South Africa. They had about 700 plus peacekeepers out of the 12,000 approximately. So it's it's it's a loss. But with the right kind of direction and I mean this, the right kind of leadership the peacekeepers can really make a difference. We've seen it in other places. Tony you and I have seen it in in in in Sudan.
▶ 0:47:02We saw it in in South Sudan where the peacekeepers had a less than robust rules of engagement and things happened right under their noses. Just as some openings but if you could I just remind everybody that 70% of the world's cobalt reserves come from the DRC and some say the number is higher. So again, it could produce great wealth. Let that all accrue to the people of the DRC.
▶ 0:47:29And again on on Rwanda, you know, we have called and if you look at the reauthorization of the peacekeeping, you know, they really really call on Rwanda to do more with their forces to step back and stop aiding and abetting groups like M23. It's just got to stop. I mean to use rape as a weapon. You mentioned Ethiopia and I worked with you on that. You took the lead on that Tony Ambassador Hall years ago. But I remember when realized that Meles Zenawi was using food as a weapon.
▶ 0:48:01You know, one of the worst and most well-documented atrocities, food was used as a weapon to attract people, then they would kill them. You know, and how many people died in Ethiopia? It was horrific. And so, thank you for your leadership on that. So, if you could start with that. Reeducating the American consumer. Well, you said a lot of amazing things, uh Mr.
▶ 0:48:22Chairman, and and um you know, I remember what Nelson Mandela said, that education is the most powerful tool to change the world, and one of the things that of course, we need to pass your legislation. Your legislation, you have three or four pieces of legislation. And I think it's important to have penalties in there that people that deal in cobalt where there's child labor to have stiff penalties and prison.
▶ 0:48:53If you're If you're caught dealing in in this issue. And this is a law passed by the United States, by you and your your committee that uh you deal with them harshly. The other thing that I think it's important, it's important for our our in America and and other nations that we're working with, especially in Great Britain and European nations, that if Our consumers need to know their iPhones
▶ 0:49:24and their batteries and their rechargeable electric cars, that they're made with cobalt. as you said, 70 to 80% of this is coming And uh it's made a good portion of it is made with child labor. And people need to start ask the If this iPhone is made with cobalt and it's related to child labor, and I'm not going to buy it.
▶ 0:49:56And we did that with uh blood diamonds. You know, De Beers sold a lot of women on the idea that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Matter of fact, they sold my wife on it. I had a heck of a time convincing my wife that diamonds are not a girl's best friend when it comes to blood diamonds.
▶ 0:50:19But the fact is is that when we were able to educate women when they went into jewelry stores and went into Cartier and went into De Beers stores and jewelry stores, are these diamonds are they blood diamonds? Are they are they from countries like Sierra Leone and Congo and these kind of countries where these terrorists are using to kill people.
▶ 0:50:47And when we got women to say that, and they started to ask the jewelry stores, this was translated back to the Congo and Sierra Leone, and it stopped it stopped blood diamonds, and the Kimberley Process was developed. And now, you know, these blood diamonds um where we bought 60% of where America bought 60% of the blood diamonds is now down to 1%.
▶ 0:51:15And that's the same thing we have to do with cobalt, I think. We We need to pass the strong laws. That's our end-your-bills, but we also need to educate our consumers. And they need to ask the question, this and this battery is made with cobalt, and a good portion of us is is is developed and made through child labor, then I'm not going to buy it. And you know what?
▶ 0:51:44That'll stop it in a minute. But it it it it took us it took us 5 years to pass that blood diamond bill. Because it took a long time to educate consumers. And that's what I think that's what we're going to have to do Our consumers have to be educated. Thank you. Um and thank you all again.
▶ 0:52:15So, um you know, I think it's clear we have a long way to go before peace is actually realized in eastern Congo. And neither DRC nor Rwanda has upheld its commitments um that they agreed to. And you know, as I said, we are still waiting on tough actions promised by the Trump administration 2 months ago. Um so, Mr. Nema, what is your assessment of the US-led peace process so far? And what do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the current peace Thank you.
▶ 0:52:44Um As I also said earlier in my statement, the peace process has created a framework for uh accountability for all the parties involved in this process so far. So far, it's also established responsibility of Rwanda in that in that process, which they've acknowledged. But the peace process is missing in a sense where it's not connected to a broader issue of peace and stability in the country. And I think it's very important for that peace to succeed is to be focused on internal issue of the DRC beyond the simple fact of geopolitical tension and geopolitical framework.
▶ 0:53:15And I do believe that the geopolitical framework of the peace process may undermine the incentive for different stakeholders on how they approach the United States and the incentive to engage in various different processes that leads to peace and stability in the DRC. So, I do believe that it's very important to reframe uh the peace process and to put it in broader context with a goal of peace and stability in the DRC and try to move away from the geopolitical frame framing of the of the whole process. Thank you.
▶ 0:53:43And And if you had some specific recommendations for the administration on how to get the process back on track, um you know, not actually not just to get the process back on track, but to like achieve that enduring peace and and stability in DRC, what would they be? My My My few recommendation is that I've made in my written statement statement would be first of all to include civil society.
▶ 0:54:07Both of you have agreed on that process because they are the key elements to societal buy-in in that process because without them you do have a very fragile peace peace process. But the other one, and as I've and I said in my oral statement, is the need of a Congolese political dialogue. That is a must that we have to address because we cannot uh look into that crisis from an external point of view and believing that external actors are the key element in that crisis. The key element in this crisis are internal to the DRC.
▶ 0:54:36If they are not addressed, the next next the next 3 years we're going to find ourselves here having to address why Uganda is still fueling um deals in the eastern DRC, why Burundi a change of leadership has led Burundi to become the enemy of the DRC. And if we do not address those empirical issues, the fundamental issues on the problem, we won't be able to address the issue.
▶ 0:54:56So, I think that the US administration supporting publicly and openly an African Union led because it's what's already on the way for those Congolese dialogue would be important given the leverage the United States has over Kinshasa today. That's going to be a strong signal for having Kinshasa to agree in those processes. Thank you. And Mr. Tennen and Ambassador Hall, the president has promised swift punitive actions on the spoilers to peace including Rwanda.
▶ 0:55:23What specific punitive measures, sanctions on individuals, export restrictions on minerals from M23 controlled areas, suspension of military cooperation, or other tools should the administration deploy immediately to demonstrate that American warnings are serious and what message does our inaction send to the Congolese people?
▶ 0:55:44I think I think one of the problems with the Washington Accords that I see and the part that I especially the parts that I've read, it doesn't say anything about child labor. Doesn't say anything about child Doesn't say anything about um violence against women. And so those things are left out.
▶ 0:56:15Those are important issues. And they're important family issues. that's what I would say about that that particular issue. I think for the administration when it comes to the sanctions that the State Department has previously mentioned wanting to enforce I believe the targeting of organizations that are closely tied to the RPF are primarily important.
▶ 0:56:43It's going after organizations such as Crystal and the Rwanda Investment Groups, both holding companies which are closely tied up to state and military financial investors will force the Rwandan government to continue to comply and with their acknowledgement of their alignment with M23 by that action enforce M23 continued M23 withdrawal. Thank you. Um and then my my last question is back to you Mr. Nima.
▶ 0:57:10As you know, in addition to the Washington Accords, the US signed the US DRC Bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement um which is meant to you know uh ensure access to critical minerals and deepen economic Um I know you have a lot of expertise in DRC's mining sector.
▶ 0:57:29What have been the main barriers to Western investment in DRC's industrial mining operations and what does the US DRC strategic partnership agreement do if anything to address these? The main barrier when it comes to investment for investment in the mining sector in the DRC, especially when it comes to cobalt has been simply the bad governance in the mining sectors. The lack of transparency, the lack of clear management revenue system and in political interference in the mining activities.
▶ 0:57:59Those Those have been the main barrier for investment for any kind of foreign investment being those who are present or those even thinking of coming to the DRC. And the Washington agreement when it comes to bilateral agreement with the DRC, of course, it offers an opportunity for diversification for the DRC. But at the same time, it create a particular cases for US investment.
▶ 0:58:20As much as I understand the need for the United States to protect investment in the DRC, I also do believe that it's important that the the need to have a clear good governance in the mining sector applies to all, not only to US companies because the framework provision provides strong statement to protect US investment in the DRC, but I think those provision should be applying to the whole mining sectors in a way that at the end, the mining sector for the DRC is open for business for all countries,
▶ 0:58:51not only specific countries. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you very Mr. Oshetski. Thank you Chairman Smith and to Ranking Member Jacobs for holding this very important hearing.
▶ 0:59:11we know that across the DRC, thousands of children are being exploited whether it's the child labor that's been covered extensively already in this or being used as armed armed fighters. Um pushed into dangerous work in mines and and pushed into the military field.
▶ 0:59:32We've heard harrowing stories of boys abducted by armed groups being dragged by their villages from their villages, marched into the forest, put through weapons training, uh forced to participate in massacres, acting as human shields. And while the US and the DRC have deepened cooperation through the Washington Accords and the Strategic Partnership Agreement, these frameworks include little to no enforceable guardrails on labor rights and child protection.
▶ 0:59:58So, I wanted to add this extra layer in addition to the child child safety abuses in the in the mines that we've discussed. Um for example, the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, which I want to thank Chairman Smith for his continued leadership on, requires the US to identify countries whose governments force or associated armed groups use child soldiers. It's now more than 6 months past the June 30th statutory and that list remains unpublished.
▶ 1:00:28So, the State Department needs to do so, and to do so without any further delay. I want to ask first about um these child soldiers um to UN Ambassador Hall and Mr. Nima, and then I have a question, if it's okay, Mr. Chairman, my time is still okay, about um children being used as weapons of war through violence.
▶ 1:00:46Uh but the first question is, how can the US best support efforts to prevent child recruitment and expand opportunities for affected children to reintegrate back into their communities um around this issue of child soldiers, and what type of US assistance programs have been most effective, and why is it in our interest to support them? Boy, I'll tell you, that's a that's a tough issue. Last time I was in the Congo, I met with child soldiers.
▶ 1:01:16And um I I met with a several different groups of child soldiers. They were They were in a particular refugee camp and uh run by a faith-based group.
▶ 1:01:33And the thing that I remember the the the the the child soldiers was that Wow, it was there were about 150 of them and as I as I spoke to them and and listened to them and asked questions of them and they asked questions of me their eyes were dead.
▶ 1:01:57I mean, it was like they'd been stunned and tortured and used and I had asked the the faith-based group there how how hard it is to bring these kids back who have been part of killing and torturing and how how their lives have been changed This is one of the great tragedies of the Congo.
▶ 1:02:26A tremendous number of child soldiers. And it's a it's a tough issue to work with these kids and to see a gleam of sunshine was so hard and it after even two or three hours of just being with them and listening to them I mean I it was so hard to see sun sunshine. It's a tough issue. These are these are tough kids.
▶ 1:02:57They've They've been absolutely crucified. there are lots of wonderful nonprofit groups and faith groups in the Congo that are working with them. And there have been some successes. It's a tough road. Very difficult. Certainly welcome the chance to get more details on some of those organizations. Perhaps we can find ways to support them further in that work.
▶ 1:03:27Anything we can do to support those organizations, well, I would that is a tough ministry. Yeah. Just one more issue, children being used as weapons of war through violence. UNICEF has estimates that children made out between 35 and of the nearly 10,000 cases of rape and sexual violence reported to protection actors in just January and February.
▶ 1:03:56If you extrapolate that out, that means during the most intense phases of last year's conflict in the eastern eastern DRC, a child was raped every half an So, that's not one off. That is a systemic crisis. It's a weapon of war. It's a deliberate tactic of error. So, in addition to these child soldiers, I guess I'm curious just just to close my time, Mr.
▶ 1:04:21Chairman, if there are concrete steps that we can take in both of these instances to press for accountability for these conversion of children into child soldiers, for these systemic acts of sexual violence against children. How do we ensure those perpetrators can face And we can open it up to anyone who wants to answer there.
▶ 1:04:42Well, you've got you've got legislation before you and and you've got wonderful civil society organizations that are working there. I know that in the same the same visit that I made where I where I met with child soldiers, I also met a lot of women that have been part of sexual violence.
▶ 1:05:09I I I've never seen a that had so many so many women that are were sexually violated as I was in and I've been to 130 nations. I've never seen a country that had so much sexual violence in my life other than the in the Congo. And there are there are amazing groups there that are working.
▶ 1:05:36And um you know with this worship and accords peace agreement we ought to really be pushing for more accountability and more understanding of what's going on in the Not just for the minerals but for the people themselves and and and really pushing and supporting the civil the civil groups and and the
▶ 1:06:07faith-based groups that are just absolutely wonderful. Safe to say we have our work cut out for us still. With that I'll yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chair recognizes [clears throat] Ms. Cherfilus-McCormick. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all of our witnesses here today. Um it seems like the common thread that we all want to ask questions about are the abuses to the children and also sexual violence against women. Now, my question's for Mr. Tan.
▶ 1:06:33When they were putting together the Washington Accords, why was it silent or was it actually silent when it came to the violence against women and also children? Thank you for the opportunity to address that question. Um I do not speak on behalf of the administration, but based on my research, the primary drivers behind the Washington Accords were getting uh both presidents to agree on both the security and economic standards.
▶ 1:06:58And my understanding is thereafter, as we're seeing with slow but incremental imple- implementation of these accords, the engagement of civil society such as both the Protestant and the Catholic Church will be intertwined not to undercut what has already happened, but to state the importance of holding leadership accountable and ultimately that the enforcement is on the United States, but in order to see successes in this, the both leaders are going to see this through on their
▶ 1:07:28ends. And those two civil society organizations, do will they be actually handling the situation of sexual violence and also violence against children or the abuses of Um based on our research, I would hope to see that these organizations would be intertwined with international organizations as Ambassador Hall mentioned, such as UNICEF who are working on the ground and have close collaboration with the US government. Uh my question is for Mr. Neema. You mentioned civil societies being integrated for us to have success.
▶ 1:07:55Which ones would you prioritize because there's so many different civil society groups? If you named five or four, what would be the top to the bottom that we should actually prioritize immediately so we can have a positive results? The reality is today on civil society in the DRC is a very complex unit. It's going to be quite difficult to pinpoint because if you start to pinpoint on them, some would say, "Why are you excluding the others?" And some may even threaten the process because they're not included.
▶ 1:08:21If we're not going to If we're not going to mention specific organizations, [clears throat] how would you classify because as I mentioned, um what the abuses we're seeing on children and women are astonishing. Yes. And our priority is to deal with that, but I want to know from your perspective, what is the priority because we may have one belief and I want to know from you actually, what would they be? Maybe one through five so we know the categorizations.
▶ 1:08:46Yes. I'll mention at least two. I think those even representation in the represented made made with Chairman Smith is the CENCO and the ECC. Both Catholic Church faith-based organization, they have a broader national outreach. They They a wide range of program integrating children, women in the in the activities. So, integrating them in the process allows you to have an access to a wide range of established network for many years.
▶ 1:09:12That's going to allow you to touch those communities that are even under in in war zones where they're still active because the Catholic Church despite having wars in Goma and Bukavu are still working, still have activities. Same with the Protestant Protestant Church. So, it's very important those two organizations based on their outreach to be able to to be included. They're the only ones today with that level of outreach on national level in the DRC. So, we're seeing violence against women increasing throughout the entire world.
▶ 1:09:40And do you believe that the Congolese government is interesting or prioritizing any kind of resolution towards stopping that violence or dealing with that violence? Unfortunately, it's going to be difficult to say that we are seeing that prioritization taking places.
▶ 1:09:54We see a lot of rhetoric, of course, governmental rhetoric in terms of like actions are taken, but when you look into the numbers of violation against women, we see they are coming from both side, both on the Congolese army side with the FARDC with the Wazalendo where made for former armed group that have been now aligned with the with the Congolese government, also on the M23 side.
▶ 1:10:15So, on the Congolese part side, we don't see we see a lot of rhetoric as I say, but in terms of actual actions in terms to in to address those issue, we still have to see much more than rhetoric. So, that's my concern is that there's nobody who's really prioritizing it. And even right now, we don't have any women who are on the panel who can actually speak to the violence that's going on with women. And we don't have anybody in their own voice to speak up on why women are being targeted in this manner.
▶ 1:10:40And so, looking forward on how we can actually make sure that this accord is successful, we do have to support and acknowledge the role of women who are mothers to these children who are being abused. The compounded effect on families won't be resolved if we don't actually tend to each person in that family. And so I wanted to bring that up. Another thing I wanted to talk about are inadvertent offenses. And maybe um Hall or you Mr. Trankin can answer this.
▶ 1:11:08So we've been hearing that many Congolese have been applying for visas and they meet all the requirements and they're being denied. Is there a possibility, have we thought this through that maybe we are offending the partners who were trying to work These are exactly the reason why you don't have women in this panel today because the organization in this room tried to lobby to come to DC for advocacy to have women from civil society from those wearing those wearing area that have been denied visa here.
▶ 1:11:38So the issue that you've mentioned is a very very important issue today where we cannot in one hand say we are helping the people from the DRC at the same time not allowing them to have access to DC to plead their own cases. Well, I think this is part of the cultural competency that us as Americans have to learn. We can't be trying to build a relationship but be offending the entire community at the same time.
▶ 1:12:01Exactly. We have to be open and make sure that we are welcoming if we're forcing ourselves upon and I think part of the buying that's lacking and why we're not seeing real change or real growth or in this peace is because it seems like there wasn't buying from the civil society. And I would hope that we can identify more ways that we can get buy-in and I thank you so much Representative Hall for being here and all you've done because what you bring to this is not just the idea that we need to work on this from a economic standpoint but the compassion that is needed.
▶ 1:12:31And so thank you for all the work you've done and the compassion you brought to this conversation because I think as the United States we lead not just the world but we must lead with humanitarianism and also compassion. So thank you so much for doing that. And the last question I wanted to ask um was the sensitivity to the standards. Do you believe what would you what would you recommend in this climate that we're in right now, we already talked about several situations going on.
▶ 1:12:55What do you think we can add to get greater buy-in when it comes to the Washington Accord so we can see tangible success and tangible results? That's for anybody. I do believe that one of the main point would be for Washington to send a clear message [clears throat] that the Washington Accord is not a geopolitical tool that's going to embolden bad governance in the DRC.
▶ 1:13:15I've mentioned it in my opening statement that we see a slow process in other processes, peace processes because we have the we have observed that there is a slowness from the Kinshasa from Kinshasa to move forward because there's there is that understanding that the support of Washington is providing them a blank check to do whatever they need to do. So I do I believe it's very important that that needs to be conveyed that the Washington Accord the the partnership between the DRC and and the United States is not a geopolitical tool.
▶ 1:13:45The time where the United States was supporting Mobutu against good governance are over. This is time for good governance to come to fall. Thank you so much for your testimony. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Mr. Jackson, gentleman from Illinois. Thank you, Chairman Smith. Thank you, panelists for making yourselves available. My first question is to you, Mr. Nema.
▶ 1:14:06In your view, does the regional economic integration framework provide enough economic incentives for Rwanda to cease support to the M23 and withdraw its own troops from Eastern DRC? The The width provide enough incentive for all parties involved to engage in peace and stability in the region, to be part of a development regional development processes.
▶ 1:14:30But at the same time, as I said in my opening remarks, the fact that when you do not include country like Burundi and Uganda and other countries that are still military active in the DRC for both security and economic reason, you are seeding you're you're putting the seat for further instability in the region and plus just as I also mentioned the reef itself will not solve the the instability in eastern DRC.
▶ 1:14:55It will it will only address the external element of the crisis without addressing the internal element of the crisis. When you read the reef you're going to realize there's a less very less elements regarding how to strengthen good governance within the DRC in a way that tomorrow or after tomorrow no external country's going to come and be a threat to the countries and I think that needs to be addressed.
▶ 1:15:18One of the question the agreement requires DRC to undertake specific business friendly legal reforms to encourage investment. In your views what additional steps are necessary for DRC to sufficiently improve its business climate and attract US investors? For me it's it's the goal should not be thinking about attracting US investor.
▶ 1:15:40The goal should be about thinking how we should be having a healthy business environment in the DRC that is open to anybody who comes to do right business in the DRC. And for that the DRC needs to do a lot in terms of mining reform, transparency, revenue management and transparency in the mining sector. That's key to attract any business to want to come to do business in the DRC. Cuts political interference, cuts corruption, cuts any form of political intervention.
▶ 1:16:08In the case we've mentioned artisanal miners here, we had reports of artisanal miners being supported by the presidential guards and the mining other big mining activities. Those kind of activities and support needs to be stopped so for us to have a healthy mining environment in the DRC. Thank you. Mr. Hall thank you and I appreciate your comments particularly leading in with what's best for the children. Often times I hear about critical minerals and we don't talk about the children.
▶ 1:16:36I say the wealth of this land and DRC and Rwanda and all these great countries the wealth is above the soil, not beneath the soil. That this all starts with investment and peace amongst the people. I believe not in the president's doctrine of peace through strength, but peace through righteousness is more scripturally correct. We've seen peace initiatives in the Central African uh Republic collapse under the weight of weak enforcement
▶ 1:17:07and wishful thinking. What leverage economic, diplomatic, or otherwise does the United States actually possess to compel compliance from actors who have historically ignored it? I think you have the legislation before you. If you could pass it, Christmas legislation. If you could pass it, it has very strong language in It has penalties, it has imprisonment, it has direction, it has strength.
▶ 1:17:37I think also at the same time that I mentioned earlier that we need to educate Americans. We need to educate consumers. That if my iPhone that I'm going to buy is made with cobalt that's made by by child labor, then I'm not going to buy it.
▶ 1:18:02And when that message gets to businesses, I guarantee you they're going to change their tactics and they're going to put pressure on the Congolese, they're going to put pressure on China. And just like we did with the blood diamonds back in in the late 1990s, it absolutely stopped the selling of blood diamonds.
▶ 1:18:28When we educate our consumers and they start asking the question, "Is this iPhone made with cobalt? Is it made with child labor, which a lot of it is today, 80% of this stuff. This phone is made with child labor. Cobalt that's in this phone right here.
▶ 1:18:52When we start to ask questions like people that live in Western nations in Europe and America start to ask questions like that, I guarantee you it will start to change. And I guarantee you that people will realize in China and and the people that are refining cobalt and these minerals, they will change. They'll have to change because people won't be buying.
▶ 1:19:19And cobalt will be starting to be a product that hopefully will be refined and mined in other countries like Indonesia and Zambia and Australia and America and Canada where it is today. And I think that's it's going to take that kind of buy-in. It's going to take that kind of education, I think. Well, thank you so much.
▶ 1:19:45Thank you for your time, gentlemen, and I look forward into the future where we can have more or some female representation. Uh they're the majority of the population, majority of the workforce, and I think they could be very very well prepared to speak on their own behalf. And so, with that, thank you so much. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you. Ms. Jayapal. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to our witnesses. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
▶ 1:20:15More than 16 million people are in need of food assistance, and millions of Congolese in North and South Kivu have been displaced due to advances by the M23. Before the Trump administration's gutting of USAID, the United States was responsible for nearly 2/3 of the humanitarian response in the DRC with the vast majority of that funding going towards emergency food, protection, and medical relief.
▶ 1:20:41In addition to USAID cuts, the crisis has been exacerbated by the M23 a rebel group backed by the Rwandan government that has committed numerous human rights abuses against the Congolese people as it seeks to gain control over the eastern DRC. Attention from the Trump administration has been welcome in resolving this conflict, but I am concerned about the administration's capacity and long-term commitment to solving the crisis.
▶ 1:21:07We've already seen ceasefire violations and disagreements over terms of the Washington Accords and local civil society and Congolese women and girls were excluded from the agreement. The desire to increase the extraction of critical minerals is central to the administration's support for a peace agreement and quote strategic partnership agreement with the DRC. In the DRC mining takes place on both an industrial and an artisanal level. Mr.
▶ 1:21:37Nema, can you discuss the differences between these two mining styles, artisanal and industrial? It's very interesting because uh the mining sectors in the DRC is taking place in a very in two different spectrums. You have as you mentioned artisanal miners and also industrial miners.
▶ 1:21:52Looking into the landscape of the mining activities, you see a lot of artisanal minings taking place in eastern DRC where we have who in the in the area of when they exploit cob- not cobalt, coltan, tin, tantalum, and all of that because it's easy, it's accessible. You also have gold because it's done by the river. But you also have industrial mining where you have capital intensive activities taking place.
▶ 1:22:15That's why we see them a lot in places like in the south in southeast of the DRC in the Katanga region where we have cobalt and cobalt because there artisanal mining activities as much as it's taking place are not as much as lucrative if they do it in the in the in the gold business in the eastern DRC for It's critical that we address abuses in the artisanal mining sector like poor safety conditions and child labor given our reliance on Congo's critical materials, but despite this a USAID program that involved direct
▶ 1:22:45advocacy with the DRC government and artisanal miners to encourage responsible investment in and sourcing of minerals was shuttered. Mr. Nema, without conflict and atrocity prevention programs, how does the administration how can the administration promote an ethical supply chain of critical minerals in the DRC sourced from artisanal mines that doesn't drive up violence and and actually does promote sustainable peace?
▶ 1:23:15It's true that you mentioned the program the USAID is supporting the DRC has helped in a certain to a certain extent into a certain scope on the mining activities in the artisanal miners in the DRC. But however, the issue that you mentioned about artisanal miners the issues is not about nationality or any kind of nationality involved in the mining industry. The issue is about the bad governance in the mining industry in the DRC itself.
▶ 1:23:36It's the result of failure of many years to diversify the economy in the way that revenue revenue coming from the mining sectors are spilling over other part of the of the economy in a way that those local communities are not forced are not feeling forced to go to the artisanal miners. They can go to school, they can open their own businesses. It's the fact that the mining sectors have lacked linkages in a way that it creates economic opportunities for community around.
▶ 1:24:04So I do believe that one of the key element would be to reform the mining sector in a way that it produce and it yield positive result through diversification of the economy so tomorrow we don't have artisanal miners taking place in the copper and cobalt industry in the DRC. You're sort of getting at my very next question actually, which is just that the expansion of the mining sector hasn't led to the kind of prosperity for the Congolese people that we would like to see.
▶ 1:24:30Um and instead, in some cases, it's led to forced evictions and of communities and environmental harm. And so, I guess the follow-up question is what precautions then would you take? We talked about linking it to the broader economic sector in general, more opportunities for people, but what protections would you put in place to ensure that US investment in any country's investment in the mining sector ensures that local communities are treated with dignity, see
▶ 1:25:01a greater share of the profits of the resources, and are connected to broader economic
▶ 1:25:06The interesting part about the mining sector in the DRC, the legislation is there. When you look into the document, you see all the laws and regulation allowing mining companies revenues to get to local communities, to change local communities. But, there is a gap between what is written and what is implemented on the ground.
▶ 1:25:22And this is, I think, one of the issue that the United States in its partnership with the DRC is going to have to look into closely to make sure that any mining activities coming from United in American company would follow through to to those agreement. And this is why I get back to the point I've made earlier that it's going to be important that those agreement be shaped from an economic perspective for the DRC people, for the DRC advantage, and not from a geopolitical perspective.
▶ 1:25:49That's me sometimes skew the debate and lead to sub optimal economic agreement between the DRC and American companies that can be involved in those mining deals. Very interesting. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Are you back? Just a few follow-up and final questions, if I could. You know, when we talk about the abuse of women, 20 years ago, I visited a group called Heal Africa.
▶ 1:26:14It's a hospital um that specializes in a number of things, orthopedics and all that, but also in treating women who have been horribly raped, often gang raped, sometimes with the husband watching in order to further demoralize him and her, especially her. And, uh, Heal Africa does, uh, fistula repair for women who have because of the sexual violence, uh, giving them their life back.
▶ 1:26:44It physically to some extent, but it also had something that I found very amazing, and that was the faith uh, component. The fact [clears throat] that they were so committed to dealing with the spiritual uh, hurt that the woman was suffering, uh, and to let her know, just like we do Tony, as you know, Mr. Ambassador, in the whole effort on trafficking, uh, to help women who have been victimized, uh, to come to a faith uh, reconciliation. They usually blame themselves.
▶ 1:27:14These women do not because it's so, but often in the trafficking space, they do. Uh, so Heal Africa is just an amazing asset in Goma, uh, and, um, just so we do, all of us do care deeply about the women, uh, and, um, and and we try to to help wherever we can. You know, a question that all of you might want to take a look at it or answer, why? It's money. It's greed.
▶ 1:27:41It's ethnic animosities that that continue over the course of decades, years, even centuries perhaps, but but greed, what a driver of of bad behavior that is. Uh, so we, you know, we we need to take the profit out of it.
▶ 1:27:57Uh, and I think that's why, you know, like you did with the blood diamonds, Tony, we need to make it so that, uh, those elements are not marketable if they're coming from a nefarious source, uh, where they've been stolen or from a Chinese mine. And I can't say enough. The modus operandi of Xi Jinping is exploitation in China.
▶ 1:28:22I had a series of hearings on on what they do in the fishing industry, nothing to do with the DRC, but learned and we had this investigative reporting team that did break just unbelievable investigative reporting that found that half of the calamari that is on the world market comes off slave labor on Chinese boats. And you go on and on with each each type of fish. It's just that's what they do.
▶ 1:28:52So for them to have a power structure inside of the DRC to run these mines as they do. You know, maybe there's greed involved. I know there's greed involved, maybe there's bribes involved. But again, the people don't benefit.
▶ 1:29:08And and that's got to be That's what our legislation is seeking to do by saying, "Okay, we we put a tourniquet on the fact that none of these things can come here." And you know, the president has put a tourniquet on the the vehicles made by the Chinese Communist Party with cobalt. They can't come here, but we still have the Elon Musk cars coming and they are filled to child exploitation derived cobalt.
▶ 1:29:37So that's You might want to speak to some of those things. I do want to register a concern which I think we all have. The president of South Africa has just pulled his peacekeeping little over 700 people in He says this is his press release on January 12th that South Africa's unilateral withdrawal from MONUSCO is influenced by the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South
▶ 1:30:07African National Defense Force following 27 years of South Africa's support to UN peacekeeping efforts in DRC. So, all of us are, you know, what a commitment that has been for all these years. Maybe it's compassion fatigue or or peacekeeping fatigue, but they are pulling out and maybe they'll reconsider. They're doing it by the end of 2026. Uh we need robust troops that that can really handle the job.
▶ 1:30:33So, that was a major disappointment um by by South Africa to pull their their peacekeeping troops. So, if you any of you want to comment on that, um the um
▶ 1:30:45the work of President Lourenço from um you might want to speak to uh how well that like I said my opening we he's hoping to do it uh we believe by uh they have this dialogue that we hope will be maximum inclusive um in in for DR Congo. And if that happens, I think there's you know, one thing that we really need to emphasize again and I want to emphasize it with exclamation points.
▶ 1:31:10Uh the more we get the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo or CENCO involved and the Church of Christ in Congo ECC, uh the more likely this will succeed. Cuz they do have a constituency that is incredibly large and you when it comes to peacekeeping, who's more committed to peacekeeping uh than the churches? Uh nobody. And you know, I I I loved what you said about um you know, always preach the gospel and when necessary use words. I love that phrase.
▶ 1:31:41It comes from St. Francis of Assisi as we all know, but they do it every day at great risk to themselves. So, the more they're integrated and relied upon uh to keep warring factions and greedy factions at bay, the better. Uh one thing that I heard this morning from the two leaders in our meeting was that they have had outreach to to uh Rwanda, to the faith community there.
▶ 1:32:05I think the more that there's a combining of those those great entities of faith, the better. Because, you know, and they should be admonishing the political leadership to um you know, pursue a true path of peace, uh and get rid of the greed, and just look out for your constituents as number one uh as a duty given to us by God. So, I any of those points if you wanted to speak to it, any of our distinguished panel.
▶ 1:32:33Uh in my as my final comment, I think I will speak to one of the points that I've mentioned across this conversation in one uh child labors in the mining sector. I think it's very important to to point out. It's true that we find child labors in the cobalt and copper industry in the DRC and elsewhere as well. And even in non-mining activities, in agriculture, in spaces where you don't have mining activities taking places. The simple fact that we see those child labors in those spaces speak to a much deeper issue that's not related to any nationality or to any activities.
▶ 1:33:03It speaks to an issue of poverty, of good bad governance that needs to be addressed in a way that tomorrow we don't find child labors in other sectors of the of of of the economy. And I do believe that the United States would have real real really the DRC into addressing those issue by importantly reframing the conversation from I understand the appeal from geopolitical perspective, but from reframing it in a way that to address poverty and bad governance in the DRC in a way that tomorrow we don't find ourselves with child
▶ 1:33:33labors in other sector of the economy. Because at the end, it doesn't benefit the country as a as a whole. To my final point, uh you mentioned President Tshisekedi's initiative taking place right now to help have a Congolese dialogue taking place. And it just speaks to the comment I've made earlier.
▶ 1:33:49I believe the United States will play a tremendous role by showing a clear and publicly support that process in a way that a message is sent clear for all the parties involved that the path for long-term peace and stability in the DRC goes through a dialogue communist dialogue that include all the parties in a way to address the root causes of different issues and stability in the DRC. Thank you.
▶ 1:34:12Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I always love your your compassion, and your empathy, and you've always led the way, and we need your legislation to pass. It's important. Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you bringing up the issue of South Africa's withdrawal.
▶ 1:34:33I think that while the withdrawal is unfortunate, this is a reminder of the importance of the Washington Accords and the enforceability and the leverage that the United States currently has over the DRC and Rwanda to see this through. I think that South Africa's withdrawal is reflective of the complicated situation on the ground.
▶ 1:34:48Um but should not be viewed as a regional abandonment of the Congo, but rather a reminder that political strain here, especially in the African continent, is present, and that the Washington Accords have made significant progress and will continue to make significant progress so long as that we're able to see through on the enforcement mechanisms. Thank you.
▶ 1:35:07Uh I'll just conclude, you one of the I I I was at that signing ceremony, as I said in my opening along with our distinguished chairman um of the full committee, I pinched myself a few times. I couldn't believe what I was watching was so encouraging. And then a couple days later we saw Uh but that doesn't mean we don't take our eye or keep we have to keep our eye on the ball.
▶ 1:35:31But one of the things that I like about the Washington Accords, it's plural Accords, is the regional economic integration uh framework between the DRC and Rwanda. Uh it aims to create a transparent, stable, responsible driver of economic growth. It formalizes artisanal mining, establishes traceability, that great important concept that you have worked so hard your entire life for, Mr. And then fostering secure conflict-free mineral supply chains.
▶ 1:36:02That's what we want. And you know, we want Congo to flourish. We want Rwanda to flourish. The killing has to stop and we will do another hearing soon. We're going to be inviting the faith leaders and others. We want to keep do a whole series to keep the focus on what can we do? What must be done?
▶ 1:36:21I do believe that it's likely if there's not a change of heart on the part of some that there will be some sanctioning towards perhaps towards Rwanda, maybe towards DRC, but I think Rwanda. And and now it's time. I mean, how long can you wait? If you're the next victim, you're saying, "Hey, what about me?" And we we really care deeply about these victims.
▶ 1:36:43So, they don't want to We want them to thrive, not be worried about the the bayonets and the bullets and the rapists, so rapists I should say. So, we're going to keep doing it in this and we're going to try really hard to get our legislation passed. So, thank you. Anything anyone want to say before I close down? Um this hearing's adjourned and I thank