🎙️E22: Rwanda–DRC Peace Deal: Cobalt, Colonialism & Washington’s New Power Play

Can a U.S.-brokered cease-fire really end Africa’s longest resource war—or is it the latest chapter of modern colonialism? In this briefing, Aparna and Harinda dissect the White-House-sponsored peace accord between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, revealing how cobalt, coltan, and Big-Tech supply chains sit at the center of the deal.

Key takeaways

• The history behind Rwanda-DRC proxy wars and why minerals—not ideology—fuel them
• How the U.S. locked in ~14 % of global cobalt flow and sidelined China’s battery dominance
• Whether “blockchain transparency” is peacekeeping or surveillance 2.0
• Ethical fault lines: resource-for-security swaps, neo-extractivism, and fragile cease-fire clauses

📌 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Conflict

00:23 Historical Context and Key Players

00:48 The Peace Deal Dynamics

03:20 Geopolitical Implications and Global Interests

04:35 Ethical Considerations and Reconciliation

06:57 Modern Colonialism and Its Impact

16:33 Colonialism and Resource Exploitation

20:41 Sustainability of Peace Deals

22:58 Tech Industry’s Role in Resource Management

27:40 Ethics of Peace and Resource Deals

34:06 Fragility of Peace & Historical Context

👥 Connect & Deepen the Insight

• Aparna Bhushan – LinkedIn • Harinda Katugaha – LinkedIn • Full transcripts, maps & primary docs → rethinkingtech.co

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