How a u s mission to reach a minerals deal in conflict hit congo unravelled

How a u s mission to reach a minerals deal in conflict hit congo unravelled

Three envoys went to the African country with an offer from Washington: release three American prisoners on death row and, in return, President Trump will accept your minerals-for-security proposal; but the mission did not go as expected and they had to flee the country in fear of arrest.

An Israeli-American businessman, a former State Department official and a decorated Green Beret pitched up in the Democratic Republic of Congo in March with a message for President Felix Tshisekedi from the Trump administration.

Two days later, they fled the country in fear of arrest.

The three envoys had come with an offer from Washington: release three American prisoners on death row and, in return, President Donald Trump will accept your minerals-for-security proposal.

The trip started well with a police motorcycle escort from the airport, but a frosty first meeting with Mr. Tshisekedi’s security adviser, some ill-advised late-night target practice by some of the envoys and a Congolese General with an axe to grind put paid to the mission.

“We want to work with folks who have the right connections, but more importantly, have the positive relationships that can help influence a decision-maker’s thinking... so it’s not uncommon for us to do that,” said Dustin Stewart, Mr. Trump’s deputy special envoy for hostage affairs, who was involved in discussions on the initiative. “We thought they had enough sway to talk to the right people. Obviously, that proved incorrect.”

On death row

It all started in January when Israeli-American businessman Moti Kahana met the Congolese President on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos to warn him about a coup plot purportedly involving Israelis.

Mr. Kahana handed over the names of the alleged plotters to Mr. Tshisekedi in an envelope, according to the businessman and two other people involved.

Mr. Kahana told Reuters he was aware that Washington had a number of live interests in Congo, and after returning from Davos he decided to try to arrange another meeting with Mr. Tshisekedi.

Three Americans had been sentenced to death by a Congolese military court in September 2024 for participating in a separate, failed coup in May last year.

At the same time, negotiations were intensifying over a deal in which the U.S. would secure greater access to Congo’s minerals in return for help defending the country from Rwanda-backed insurgents.

To get the ball rolling, Mr. Kahana met with State Department officials in Washington in March. The officials thought it worth empowering a team led by Mr. Kahana to discuss U.S. diplomatic goals and the release of the three Americans with Mr. Tshisekedi.

For the Congo mission, Mr. Kahana signed up two other Americans. One was former U.S. Green Beret Justin Sapp. He was among the first soldiers to infiltrate Afghanistan in 2001 and had explored a project with Mr. Kahana to deliver aid to Gaza the previous year. For Mr. Kahana, who said he does business alongside his philanthropic ventures, the motivation was to win praise for bringing home the Americans, while eyeing business opportunities in Congo.

The other was Stuart Seldowitz, a business associate of Mr. Kahana and former U.S. diplomat who was charged with a hate crime for verbally abusing a Halal hot dog vendor in New York in 2023.

On their first night in Kinshasa, the trio had expected a discussion over dinner with Mr. Tshisekedi’s security adviser, Desire-Cashmir Kolongele Eberande. But they said he was not in a welcoming mood when he finally saw them at 1 a.m.

The next day, while the trio waited to see if President Tshisekedi would meet them, they were invited for dinner by an Israeli security contractor on a compound within an army base in Kinshasa.

The arms dealer

Another guest was an Israeli-French arms dealer who had been doing business in Congo for decades and helped set up Mr. Kahana’s first meeting with Mr. Tshisekedi in Davos, according to the arms dealer, Mr. Kahana and Kinuani Kamitatu Massamba, a Congolese politician close to Mr. Tshisekedi. After dinner, the host invited the guests for a shooting session at the compound’s range. Kahana and Sapp agreed to take part.

The next morning, Mr. Kahana received a call from Mr. Massamba, who said Congo’s intelligence services were upset about the late-night gunfire.

Mr. Massamba told Reuters the shooting had raised alarm about a possible attack on the presidential palace.

General Franck Ntumba, head of the presidential guard, showed up at their hotel, demanding they surrender their passports and visit his headquarters.

Mr. Seldowitz called his old acquaintance the U.S. ambassador.

A large contingent of embassy staff soon showed up at the hotel to protect the Americans, the Israeli-French arms dealer said.

“I thought, wow, it’s good to be American in this situation. It was like a movie, believe me,” he said.

The embassy sent a car with diplomatic plates to take them to the airport. The trio arrived as an Air France flight for Paris was boarding. But at passport control, they were taken into a room and asked for their phones. Mr. Seldowitz called the embassy again. Air France staff came and the three Americans were released.

While the men’s mission did not go as planned, progress has since been made on their initial goals. Mr. Massamba, Mr. Stewart and Mr. Kahana all said it helped signal that Mr. Trump was serious about striking a deal involving the American prisoners.