American company Virtus Minerals is acquiring troubled Chemaf in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for $30 million, a move backed by a $475 million debt package from US fund Orion. The deal, brokered under a new US-DRC economic and security partnership signed in December, signals a strategic shift towards American control of the DRC's vital cobalt and copper resources. Virtus plans to invest an additional $300 million to develop Chemaf's Mutoshi mine, positioning it as a major global cobalt producer once operational. The acquisition represents the first commercial transaction under the new bilateral agreement, aiming to counter China's influence in the critical minerals supply chain.