Donald Trump says the US will soon introduce “a major tariff on pharmaceuticals” designed to force more manufacturing giants to relocate to America, a move that could further strain relations with Australia.
His comments come hours after his trade representative, Jamieson Greer, said the US should be “running up the score” with Australia and using money generated by tariffs to address a broader $1.2tn trade deficit with the rest of the world. The US maintains a trade surplus with Australia.
In a speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner on Wednesday, the US president made reference to subsidised medicine systems run by many nations including Australia, where it is known as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
“These other countries are smart,” Trump said. “They say you can’t charge more than $88 otherwise you can’t sell your product and the drug companies listen to them.
“But we’re going to do something that we have to do. We’re going to put tariff on our pharmaceuticals and once we do that, they’re going to come rushing back into our country because we’re the big market.
“The advantage we have over everybody is that we’re the big market. So we’re going to be announcing very shortly a major tariff on pharmaceuticals.”
Trump did not give any detail on what the tariff increase would be or make any reference to Australia.
US pharmaceutical companies have long raised concerns about the PBS, claiming Australians aren’t paying enough for medicines considering the billions the companies pour into research and development.
Monash University experts, writing in the Conversation, have said it is hard to see how tariffs would influence the PBS “unless these issues are caught up in some larger trade or political deal”. But, they write, if the US puts tariffs on drugs Australia exports to the US, that could have an effect.
They argue it would make Australian drugs more expensive, potentially driving down demand, which could prompt Australian manufacturers to move overseas where production might be cheaper.
Australia exports about $2bn worth of pharmaceuticals – mainly vaccines and blood products – to the US each year.
The imposition of tariffs on pharmaceuticals is likely to further strain diplomatic relations with Australia. Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have said the PBS is “not up for negotiation”, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has declared protecting it is “sacrosanct” in trade negotiations.
On Wednesday, Albanese was asked to respond to Greer’s comments, which suggested Australia was being punished to compensate for an overall US trade deficit.
Pharmaceuticals were exempted from the sweeping tariffs President Trump announced last week.
But Trump has been saying that he will impose pharmaceutical-specific tariffs, claiming that it would help shift drug production to the US.
Much of pharmaceutical supply chains are based in China, India and Europe.
Experts have warned that despite the exemption of pharmaceuticals from Trump's tariffs (for now), tariffs on other materials involved in drug production can affect the cost of drugs for consumers.
Shares in mainland China and Hong Kong are trading lower as President Trump stays firm on his tariff threat.
The Shanghai Composite lost 1.8% while the Hang Seng fell by 2.8%.
China has vowed to retaliate against US tariffs, which will take effect in the next few hours.
"The escalation of trade tensions between the US and China will no doubt lead to a sharper decline in China's exports, with spillovers to domestic investment, the labour market, consumption and confidence," says Qian Wang, Asia Pacific chief economist from the Vanguard investment firm.
"Beijing is standing firm in the face of these latest threats from Donald Trump" and accusing the US of being "a bunch of bullies", says the BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell.
China is expecting 104% tariffs from the US in a matter of hours, but it has said that it won't budge on tariffs.
Asian countries have largely diverged in their reactions to the import fees. While China has hit back with retaliatory tariffs, others have hit the phones to negotiate.
Trump shared on Truth Social that he’d had a “great call” with South Korea’s acting president Han Duck-soo, posting that , externalthe two “have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries”.
He claimed “China also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call. It will happen!”
Meanwhile, Reuters reports India is also in talks with the White House and could implement a cut on US products imported into India of up to $23bn (£17.9bn) in an attempt to lower its own fees for sending products to the US.
Trump has confirmed the US will impose 104% tariffs on some Chinese goods
Louise Loo, a lead economist at the Oxford Economics company, has told the BBC that "retaliation and counter-retaliation from the Chinese are almost a given at this stage".
The Singapore-based economist says China's retaliatory measures are likely to be proportionate, and suggests that Beijing is "leaving the door open to trade talks".
"We think between Trump, Xi, and... Powell [Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States], Trump will likely blink first," she adds.
"The worst case scenario - if bilateral trade flows completely disappear between the two - would cost China 3% of GDP," Ms Loo adds. "It might not have the fiscal means to completely offset that this year, but the longer term trend is that China’s trade has continued to penetrate into other emerging markets, which will mitigate that fallout."
This "worst case scenario" seen by experts as being unlikely at this stage.
The White House has confirmed that cheap Chinese small parcels will no longer be exempt from tariffs starting 2 May, according to an amendment to Trump's executive order published today.
These items will be subject to a duty rate of 90% of their value or $75 per item, which will increase to $150 after 1 June.
Previously, goods from China and Hong Kong valued at less than $800 were given the duty free de minimis treatment - meaning they were allowed to enter the US tariff-free.
The change will most noticeably affect shipments from fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu.
A US senate hearing got testy yesterday when Trump trade representative Jamieson Greer was questioned about tariffs on Australian products.
Citing a free trade agreement between the two countries, Democratic Senator Mark Warner asked Greer why Australia had been "whacked" by the 10% blanket fee.
Greer answered that the fee addressed the US trade deficit, to which Warner replied: "Sir, you are a much smarter person than that answer".
In just over an hour, US levies on many China-made imports are set to rise to 104%.
Some products like cars, semiconductors, steel and aluminium will face lower taxes.
Beijing has shown no signs of backing down, as it pledges to place its own taxes on American imports.
But some analysts say the tariffs will hit China hard, forcing it to restructure its economy and rely heavily on domestic consumption.
In reality, any tariff upwards of 35% will wipe out all the profits that Chinese businesses make when exporting to the US or South East Asia, said Dan Wang from the Eurasia Group consultancy.
"Any tariff above that is only symbolic," she said, citing industry figures.
She also warned that China is likely to miss its annual growth target of around 5% if its economy is closed off to trade. "Growth is going to be much lower since exports contributed to 20% to 50% of growth since the Covid pandemic."
Tim Waterer from brokerage KCM Trade said import taxes of 104% will not be "sustainable [for China], given the export dynamics of the Chinese economy".
"In the short term they can handle it, but to weather these tariff levels over the longer term would require China to make structural changes such as rebalancing their economy," he added.
An award-winning, board-certified specialist in pulmonary diseases, internal medicine, and critical care medicine and is considered one of the world pioneers in physicians’ use of ultrasound in diagnosing and treating critically ill patients. He is a highly published expert in treating COVID-19 in all its phases. He has led ICUs in multiple COVID-19 hotspots throughout the pandemic, including New York City, Greenville, South Carolina, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2022, he founded the Leading-Edge Clinic, specializing in managing complex chronic conditions often disregarded or insufficiently treated by conventional medical practitioners.
Dr. Kory cofounded the FLCCC Alliance in 2020 alongside a group of highly published, world-renowned critical care physicians to develop lifesaving protocols for preventing and treating COVID-19 at all stages of the illness, including “Long COVID” and Post Vaccine Syndrome. In 2025, he launched Rebuild Medicine, a new organization aimed at enhancing the understanding of chronic diseases while empowering patients. Founded by physicians seeking to restore the science and practice of medicine, Rebuild Medicine identifies and promotes the most effective solutions for preventing and treating diseases and tackling rising healthcare costs.
Ben Edwards, MD, is founder of Veritas Medical. Dr. Edwards received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University, and later graduated from UT-Houston Medical School. He completed his training at the Waco Family Practice Residency Program where he was Chief Resident. After graduation, the Lord directed Dr. Edwards' family to West Texas and the Garza County Health Clinic in Post, Texas, where he founded Veritas Medical.
For Dr. Edwards, the journey to becoming a doctor began with watching both of his granddads practice “old school” country doctoring in Belton, Texas. Their early influence helped to guide Dr. Edwards in his own practice, where his focus is the whole body and the whole family.
Through the years, Dr. Edwards came to incorporate integrative medicine into his practice, and came to see “that all we have to do is to find out what our bodies are missing that the Lord intended them to have, and what harmful things we are being exposed to that shouldn’t be there. Replace what’s missing and remove what is harmful. That’s it. Then sit back and watch the “miracle cure” that is waiting inside of you manifest.”
Polly Tommey is CHD TV’s Program Director, Producer of “Vaxxed,” Executive Producer of “Vaxxed II” and “Vaxxed III,” and Director and Founder of The Autism Trust USA and UK.
Polly is a devoted mother raising three remarkable children, including Billy, who is vaccine-injured. Recognized for her role as a producer in impactful documentaries like “Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis” and “Vaxxed,” her executive influence also shines through in the Vaxxed documentary series.
Polly co-founded the 501(c)(3) organization, The Autism Trust, reaching across the UK and USA, dedicated to creating purposeful futures for individuals with autism. Notably, in the UK, Polly is the visionary founder of the esteemed Autism File magazine.
At the helm of CHD TV’s program direction, Polly vigorously advocates against censorship and corruption, striving to empower people with a platform to voice their stories and experiences.
Brian Hooker, PhD, is Chief Scientific Officer at Children’s Health Defense and professor emeritus and former Frances P. Owen Distinguished Professor of Biology at Simpson University in Redding, California, where he specializes in microbiology and biotechnology.
Dr. Hooker has been active in vaccine safety since 2001 and has a 27-year-old son with autism. In 2013 and 2014, Dr. Hooker worked with the CDC whistleblower, Dr. William Thompson, to expose fraud and corruption within vaccine safety research in the CDC, which led to the release of over 10,000 pages of documents. He is co-author of the New York Times Bestseller “Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Map shows where the earthquake struck in Myanmar. Graphic: Albi
A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on March 28, destroying buildings, bridges and a monastery. At press time at least 1,644 people were killed in Myanmar, where photos and video from two hard-hit cities showed extensive damage. At least 10 died in the Thai capital, where a high-rise under construction collapsed.
The full extent of death, injury and destruction was not immediately clear—particularly in Myanmar, one of the world’s poorest countries. It is embroiled in a civil war, and information is tightly controlled.
“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” the head of Myanmar’s military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said as he announced on television that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured in his country.
In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.
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The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at midday, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. Aftershocks followed, one of them measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude.
In Mandalay, the earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings, including one of the city’s largest monasteries. Photos from the capital city of Naypyidaw showed rescue crews pulling victims from the rubble of multiple buildings used to house civil servants.
Myanmar’s government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept assistance. The United Nations allocated $5 million to start relief efforts.
But amid images of buckled and cracked roads and reports of a collapsed bridge and a burst dam, there were concerns about how rescuers would even reach some areas in a country already enduring a humanitarian crisis.
“We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake,” said Mohammed Riyas, the International Rescue Committee’s Myanmar director.
In Thailand, a 33-story building under construction crumpled into a cloud of dust near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in a video posted on social media. Vehicles on a nearby freeway came to a stop.
Sirens blared across the Thai capital’s downtown as rescuers streamed to the wreckage. Above them, shredded steel and broken concrete blocks, some stacked like pancakes, rose in a towering heap. Injured people were rushed away on gurneys, and hospital beds were also wheeled outside onto a sidewalk.
“It’s a great tragedy,” Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said after viewing the site, adding that there was hope that there were still survivors.
The city’s elevated rapid transit system and subway shut down.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, they are usually not so powerful and rarely are felt in the Thai capital. The greater metropolitan area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to preliminary reports. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage.
Injuries reported in China
To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
Videos that one outlet said were shot by a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled in a stretcher toward an ambulance.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 60 miles northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn’t stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Millions of people in Iran and across the world have taken to the streets to mark the International Quds Day, voicing their solidarity with Palestinians and decrying Israeli genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif, the spokesman of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the director-general of Intifada committee in Tehran, said the rallies which started (March 28) at 10:00 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) were being held in more than 900 cities across the country.
From different walks of life and various social strata, the demonstrators held the national flags of Iran and Palestine as well as banners that read, “Free Palestine,” and “Al-Quds must be liberated.”
Other flags belonging to regional resistance groups, including Iraq’s anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units, better known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement and Yemen’s Ansarullah were carried by demonstrators. The mass rallies are held in many countries in the West Asian region, including Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, as well as many others across the globe.
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Senior Iranian officials attended the rally in Tehran, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf addressing the event. “Today, the people of Iran have come out across the country in a massive rally to defend Palestine and the Islamic Ummah,” Qalibaf told the crowd.
“The story of Palestine over the past decades and for many years has been a tale full of sorrow not only for the Islamic world but for all humanity and the human community. This story serves as a lesson and a role model.”
Pointing to the Israeli genocide, atrocities and crimes against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, the speaker underlined the West’s duplicity in advocating for human rights.
“These events are a stain on the forehead of Western civilization that will remain as an ignominy forever, and future generations will not turn towards such a culture.”
Qalibaf said Palestine is a touchstone that does not allow seemingly flamboyant slogans and the dual behavior of the West to be promulgated. “Palestine stands up to a hegemonic system that persists and continues to exist by suppressing the rights and truth.”
Voicing support for the October 7, 2023, retaliatory attack by the Palestinians on Israeli-occupied territories, Qalibaf said Operation al-Aqsa Flood was a “rightful and legitimate action in response to 77 years of oppression by the Zionist regime, the United States, and Britain.”
The Iranian Parliament speaker described Israel as a “spare” regime that has no power or strength within itself without the U.S. “The reality is that today the Zionist regime is the killing machine of the hegemonic system and the criminal America.”
Netanyahu should be tried in international courts
In their final communique in the Tehran rally, the demonstrators underscored their unwavering support for Palestinians and their holy cause as they called for the trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his regime’s genocidal war in Gaza.
“We, the participants at this rally, regard Palestine as the prime issue in the Islamic world… and voice our ironclad support for the liberation of Palestine and call for an urgent action by the international community to stop such inhuman crimes and bring to justice the Zionist regime’s authorities.
Not least the butcher of Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu, in international criminal courts as well as unblocking humanitarian relief aids and the reconstruction of Gaza,” the communique read.
Pointing to the “bureaucratic, political, structural and societal” collapse of the Israeli regime, the demonstrators also warned certain regional states against legalization and normalization of their ties with the occupying entity.
Al-Quds Day, or simply Quds Day, is an annual, international day held every year on the last Friday of Ramadan to express support for Palestine and oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Large rallies are held as Israel continues its attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, established Quds Day in 1979 shortly after the Islamic Revolution in Iran to show solidarity with Palestinians. It has since become a symbol of resistance.
Father Pfleger and Tamika Mallory at St. Sabina Church in Chicago where Ms. Mallory delivered a special message on March 23 as part of a Women’s History Month program.
Civil rights activist Tamika D. Mallory delivered a riveting address at Saint Sabina Church March 23, honoring Women’s History Month and challenged attendees to reflect on personal purpose, societal responsibility, and collective resilience.
The South Side church, led by longtime faith leader and activist Father Michael Pfleger, welcomed Ms. Mallory as the keynote speaker in an event that reflected the intersection of faith, justice, and Black womanhood.
“Tamika is a powerful organizer,” Father Pfleger said during her introduction. “She has led justice movements—fighting voter suppression, advocating for Breonna Taylor—and is the youngest-ever executive director of the National Action Network.
She also helped develop New York City’s $100 million crisis management system for gun violence prevention.” Breonna Taylor, was the young, Black woman killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020 during a botched raid. Her death sparked nationwide protests.
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“Her commitment to justice is matched by her deep love for family. She remains relentless in her fight for justice,” said Father Pfleger, adding, “all while embracing her most cherished roles as a mother and, yes, a grandmother. It’s hard to believe, but yes—a grandmother,” she said.
Tamika Mallory
Ms. Mallory’s address, titled “Where Are You Coming From and Where Are You Going?” drew from Genesis 16, the biblical story of Hagar—a woman who was cast out and found herself in the wilderness. “It’s more than a question of geography,” Ms. Mallory said. “It’s about spiritual direction.”
Her message echoed themes of exhaustion and perseverance, particularly for Black women who have carried the burdens of advocacy, caregiving, and cultural leadership—often without recognition or rest.
“I don’t know about y’all,” she said, “but I’m glad the church still exists. That we still have a safe space to gather, to work together, to organize … on how we are going to hold our people in difficult times.”
Linking February’s Black History Month and March’s Women’s History Month, Ms. Mallory affirmed the central role of Black women in building and preserving society.
“Black women are literally doing everything you can think of—and that is why we are under such attack,” she said. “We are tired. Tired like ‘I’ve been carrying too much for too long.’ Tired like ‘I’ve been strong for everybody, and I’ve forgotten how to care for myself.’”
She shared how this exhaustion has been a recurring theme on her national book tour for her memoir, “I Lived to Tell the Story.” Across 25 cities, she has encountered women echoing the same sentiment: “I’m tired. I need rest. I’m over it.”
But Ms. Mallory emphasized that this rest should not be mistaken for resignation. “Yes—we are owed rest,” she declared. “But let that rest prepare us for God’s next move.”
She warned of the dangers of silence and neutrality, especially amid the current social and political climate. “It’s no joke when the people who discriminate against others call you discriminatory.
Being called ‘difficult’ by the unwilling,” she said. “But someone in every community has to do it. Because real change takes a whole bunch of people willing to stand up and speak out—no matter how much it hurts.”
Her remarks came at a time when national statistics continue to reveal stark inequities facing Black women. A 2023 report from Bankrate found that Black women working full-time, year-round earned just 67 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. The National Partnership for Women and Families reported an even lower figure—64 cents to the dollar—highlighting the persistent wage gap.
Health disparities are just as alarming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2022, Black women experienced maternal mortality at a rate of 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births—more than double the rate for White women. In 2021, the rate was even higher at 69.9 deaths per 100,000.
These findings are consistent with data from the National Institutes of Health, which reports that Black women are 2.9 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their White counterparts.
The causes include systemic racism in healthcare, limited access to quality prenatal care, and broader social determinants like income inequality and environmental stress.
She pointed to a political landscape where book bans are rising, school boards are rewriting history, voting rights are being eroded, and reproductive freedoms are under assault.
Father Pfleger and Tamika Mallory greet members of the audience after the program. Photos: Haroon Rajaee
“Governors are banning books—but won’t ban bullets,” she said. “We are living in a nation wrestling with its soul. Still deciding whether we want to be free—or just look free.”
Ms. Mallory expressed concern over what she sees as an erosion of democratic norms and institutions. “This isn’t politics as usual, family. Nothing we see before our eyes is normal. You cannot act like it is. Do not lie to yourself. Do not be delusional,” she warned.
She criticized both political parties, noting that while she supported Vice President Kamala Harris, she still held her accountable. “This isn’t about party affiliation,” she said. “I tear the Democrats up on a regular basis. This is about the soul of this nation.”
Returning to her biblical metaphor, Ms. Mallory reminded the audience that Hagar, though cast out and forgotten by man, was seen by God. In the wilderness, Hagar became the first person in the Bible to name God—El Roi, “the God who sees me.”
“Like Hagar, Black women have birthed nations. We’ve raised children who weren’t ours. We’ve built movements—often in the shadows. We’ve survived systems not built for us but built on our backs,” Ms. Mallory said. “We’ve created culture while being erased. We’ve been misunderstood, used, pushed out—but still, God sees us.”
She closed with a word of urgency—and hope.
“Yes, we may be in the wilderness. But it’s a rest stop, not a residence. Sure is not a place to live. It’s where you pause,” she said. “And yes, we’re tired. But we cannot stay in sure. Because the God who sees us is the God who sends us. And God is not done with us yet.” Her message resonated with those in attendance.
“The power of being a woman is divine. It was not by accident; it was by design. It is true that women need a rest and we’ve been carrying for a long time, but it is also true that the rest has to be temporary. We have to pick up the work and keep it moving,” said Khaleelah Dionnne Muhammad, who was part of the program.
“Rest is resilience,” said Afrika Porter, a community advocate and entrepreneur in response to Ms. Mallory’s message. “She broke it down and brought it home with rest being important, but also not staying there; it’s important to rest but to get back up and fight.”
Map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: Albi
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is courting the United States to establish a mineral-for-security deal. The proposition was made by the East African country, presently embroiled in a brutal civil conflict with a rebel group that gained control of key swathes of resource-rich land.
Fighting between DRC government forces and the M23 rebel group with ties to neighboring Rwanda began in 2021 and is rooted in a long history of past conflict. The current M23 insurgency sparked after it accused the DRC government of failing to implement a prior peace agreement.
Touted as a “minerals-for-security partnership,” the deal—which is still formulating—would involve granting American companies access to resources like cobalt and lithium—vital for advanced technologies and defense industries—in exchange for military support in the ongoing conflict.
Some analysts and observers warn if the deal materializes, the U.S. with its “America first” posture and expansionist rhetoric would further aggravate the conflict.
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“It’s quite interesting when (President Donald) Trump ran for office, he was claiming that he was focused on lowering prices and bringing jobs to the United States,” said Abayomi Azikiwe, political commentator and editor of Pan Africa Newswire.
“But since he’s gotten in office, he’s been involved in numerous, what I consider imperialist threats. Not only against Africa but also against Europe,” he said.
Mr. Azikiwe pointed out that the proposal comes while President Trump is eyeballing other territories and sovereign lands for annexation, such as Greenland, a territory of Denmark, and Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.
In addition, a Ukraine minerals deal being considered and a U.S. imposition of tariffs has spun global trade into disorder. “So, these are all really acts of war,” Mr. Azikiwe said, “So what they’re doing in (the) Democratic Republic of Congo is unfortunate,” he reasoned.
He sees the DRC approaching America as tantamount to asking for U.S. intervention and he says it is not a practical solution to the conflict rocking the country.
“There’s a precedent for these types of projects to be abysmal failures, so I don’t think it’s going to work. And if he does this, I think it’ll just create more turmoil inside the country,” explained Mr. Azikiwe.
The U.S. State Department said Washington is open to the arrangement, reported Reuters on March 9, citing a department spokesperson. “The United States is open to discussing partnerships in this sector that are aligned with the Trump Administration’s America First Agenda,”
A State Department spokesperson said, noting that Congo held “a significant share of the world’s critical minerals required for advanced technologies.”
The U.S. has worked “to boost U.S. private sector investment in the DRC to develop mining resources in a responsible and transparent manner,” the spokesperson said.
China and the DRC
However, analysts note that added to the mix is China, America’s chief rival for geo-strategic interests in Africa. Beijing dominates Congo’s mineral supply chains.
China exerts substantial influence over DRC’s cobalt industry, controlling approximately two-thirds of the country’s cobalt production. China-Africa relations are centered on infrastructure development through China’s Belt-and Road initiative.
Projections indicate that by 2030, Chinese entities will control approximately 53% of the DRC’s total cobalt production. That is huge considering four of the five largest cobalt mines worldwide are in the DRC, which itself is two-thirds the landmass of Western Europe, with mineral resources estimated to be worth $24 trillion.
The country is rich in valuable minerals such as coltan, cobalt, gold, diamonds, tin, tungsten, and tantalum, which are essential for global industries, including electronics, automotive, and jewelry.
The U.S. has been lagging behind China on the business end. To counter China’s economic footprint, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment was formed by America with the G7 of industrialized powers and the European Union to compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The problem of DRC and the West
“There’s so many layers to it,” said Maurice Carney, executive director of Friends of The Congo, an advocacy group. “It’s so important for folks to understand that Congo still suffers from its colonial legacy,” Mr. Carney told The Final Call.
It is a nation structurally and systemically firmly grounded in its colonial history. Mr. Carney, a longtime advocate for the Congolese said the current leaders of the DRC is a neocolonial leadership that’s got the genealogy of what the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created.
This sordid history includes the overthrow and assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the independence leader and first prime minister of the Congo, after gaining independence from Belgium. America maintained a relationship through the 1990s with the CIA-supported leadership of Mobutu Sese Seko, for three decades.
“No leader has risen to power in the Congo without the sign-off of the United States,” said Mr. Carney. “So, we know what’s at stake there. You just have to look at the auto industry … the military industry … entire green energy industry is dependent on the Congo,” said Mr. Carney.
Minerals are a significant driver of the ongoing conflict in the DRC. As blood soaks its soil, and the M23 fighters are on the path of reaching the capital of Kinshasha, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi is in trouble. Analysts say this is why he is courting Washington’s insatiable thirst for the mineral wealth of Africa.
Meanwhile, Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which the M23 fighters are part of, declared deal or not, the fighting continues. “We will fight like people who got nothing to lose in order to secure the future of our country,” Mr. Nangaa, told Associated Press.
“This problem can be better resolved by the concerned Congolese, not foreigners with different geopolitical agendas,” said Mr. Nangaa. “Trying to bribe (the) U.S. with mines can undermine U.S. credibility,” he added.
However, the lethal cocktail of the U.S., conflict, and resource grabbing is not a new story. During the 1990s, America had a central role in a war that killed six million people in the DRC, known as Africa’s world war, involving multiple nations.
Adjoining countries and U.S. allies, such as Rwanda and Uganda, have been long accused of profiting from the DRC’s minerals by backing armed groups.
In the DRC the local elite are concerned about their own interests and President Tshekedi’s offer to Washington can be seen as political desperation. “It’s extreme desperation,” said Mr. Azikiwe.” I think he’s desperate and wants to prevent further erosion of his authority,” he added.
In a general sense, Mr. Azikiwe said the parties should work to unite the people inside the country and have ongoing discussions with Rwanda to try to resolve the conflicts.
Mr. Carney said all of this is taking place over the head of the Congolese people. The global elites are making deals, and the local elites are filling their pockets, while 70 million Congolese live on less than $2.15 a day in a country worth $24 trillion in natural resources.
As an organizer and advocate around the Congolese situation, Mr. Carney said people must stand up for the Congolese people.
“We need to rally behind the Congolese people. You know get their voices out, support the institutions on the ground that are organizing to change this madness,” he said.
