Last year, a report by the United States Institute Of Peace (USIP) emphasized the importance of the United States government engaging in the African critical minerals sector if it is to diminish its dependence on China and fortify its national security and foreign policy interests.
The report outlines practical steps that the United States can take to build mineral partnerships with African countries in a bid to diversify its supply chains and strengthen peace and security on the continent. Africa is home to an estimated 20% of global copper and aluminium reserves, 50% of manganese and cobalt, 90% of platinum group metals, 36% of chromium, as well as considerable lithium, uranium, gold and rare earths.
However, the U.S. is likely to struggle to secure the continent’s vast mineral resources under the Trump administration. South Africa’s Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says Africa should withhold minerals from the United States if Trump cuts aid, “If they don’t give us money, let’s not give them minerals. We are not just beggars,” Mantashe told the African Mining Conference in Cape Town.
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