Togolese Lawyer Joins Key Diplomatic Talks on Strategic Minerals Between DR Congo and the U.S.

Mining

Thursday, 12 June 2025 11:02

Togolese Lawyer Joins Key Diplomatic Talks on Strategic Minerals Between DR Congo and the U.S.

(Togo First) - Pascal Agboyibor, a Franco-Togolese business lawyer, plays a central role in ongoing negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States over strategic minerals. The presidential decree issued on May 12, 2025, officially appointed him to the strategic coordination unit that steers this mining partnership.

The 22-member unit oversees bilateral talks and ensures the smooth execution of the agreement. The deal aims to provide the U.S. with secure access to critical DRC resources—cobalt, lithium, and coltan—while boosting American diplomatic support amid ongoing tensions in eastern Congo.

Agboyibor is the only lawyer on the unit’s leadership team, alongside top Congolese officials like Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, presidential chief of staff; Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner; Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba; and the chairmen of Gécamines and Arecoms boards.

Togolese Expertise Gains Recognition in Business Law

Pascal Agboyibor founded the international law firm Asafo & Co. He is well known in Africa for his expertise in mining law, structured finance, and infrastructure projects. Governments and public institutions regularly call on him for high-stakes strategic cases in Africa and beyond.

His firm has operated in the DRC for years, advising the government during the renegotiation of the Gécamines partnership with Chinese giant CMOC over the Tenke Fungurume mine. This complex deal resulted in an $800 million settlement favoring the Congolese state.

In 2024, Africa Business+ named him the most influential lawyer in Francophone Africa for the fourth time. The magazine praised his work on sensitive cases involving state interests. “He acts as a strategic advisor to the Congolese government, especially against international operators,” it said.

Togo’s Role in a Geopolitical Chess Game

Under Anthony Nkinzo Kamole’s coordination, the strategic unit manages technical work, aligns positions among Congolese institutions, and monitors compliance with the pending U.S. agreement.

Pascal Agboyibor’s appointment carries added weight because he is the son of Yawovi Agboyibo, former Togolese Prime Minister and historic opposition figure.

Meanwhile, Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé actively mediates between the DRC and Rwanda. For weeks, Gnassingbé has played a central role in talks aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.

This delicate, behind-the-scenes mediation reshapes regional influence. In this geopolitical climate, having a Togolese lawyer involved in such a strategic mineral deal—covering cobalt, lithium, and coltan—boosts Togo’s image as both a facilitator and a power player.

Sources close to the matter say the Kinshasa-Washington agreement could be signed by the end of June 2025.

This article was initially published in French by Fiacre E. Kakpo

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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