The United States announced the launch of a critical minerals initiative with Australia, India and Japan on Tuesday as part of efforts to counter China, although ties between the partners have been strained by trade frictions and other disagreements…The four countries, known as the Quad, share concerns about China's growing power and dominance of critical minerals, but relations have been tested by U.S. President Donald Trump's global tariff offensive which has spared none of the members…In a joint statement after talks in Washington, the countries' foreign ministers said they were launching the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, which they called an "ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains."…He said 30 or 40 companies from Quad countries were scheduled to meet at the State Department on Tuesday to discuss cooperation, including diversification of the supply chain for critical minerals, which is a sector currently dominated by China.

India has dispatched a team of geologists to Zambia to explore copper and cobalt deposits, two Indian government sources said, as New Delhi steps up efforts to secure critical mineral supplies essential to its energy transition…The Zambian government this year agreed to allocate 9,000 square km (3,475 square miles) to India for the exploration of cobalt - a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones - as well as for scouting copper, which is widely used in power generation, electronics, and construction…New Delhi has been in talks with several African countries to acquire critical mineral blocks on a government-to-government basis, while also exploring opportunities in Australia and Latin America…India is also in discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign an initial agreement to secure supplies of cobalt and copper, Reuters reported in March…India is almost entirely dependent on cobalt imports and shipments of cobalt oxide rose 20% in 2024/25 to 693 metric tons, government data showed.

Rwanda has exercised command and control over M23 rebels during their advance in eastern Congo, gaining political influence and access to mineral-rich territory, according to a confidential report by a group of United Nations experts…The report obtained by Reuters details training which the experts say Rwanda has provided to M23 recruits and military equipment they say Rwanda has deployed - notably "high-tech systems capable of neutralizing air assets" - to give the rebels "a decisive tactical advantage" over Congo's beleaguered army…M23 has advanced in eastern Congo, seizing the region's two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu, in January and February. Congo, the United Nations and Western powers say Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms…U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is trying to broker a peace deal between Rwanda and Congo that would bring billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals…On Friday the Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed a peace deal in Washington and met with Trump, who warned of "very severe penalties, financial and otherwise" if the deal is violated…M23's military gains earlier this year spurred fears of a wider regional war drawing in Congo's neighbours, and also fuelled anxiety over the fate of President Felix Tshisekedi's government.