Congo

Scribe Strategies & Advisors has inked a $840K contract with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to bolster its relations with the US.

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has been fighting in the eastern part of the DRC for a decade. The governments of the DRC and Rwanda called for a ceasefire on March 18.

President Trump reportedly eyes deals to develop the DRC’s trove of rare earth minerals, and may appoint Massad Boulos, father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, as a peace envoy.

Félix Tshisekedi, president of the DRC, is offering minining opportunities to the US for help in ending the civial war. “Your election has ushered in the golden age for America,” Tshisekedi wrote in the letter reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. “Our partnership would provide the U.S. with a strategic advantage by securing critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, copper and tantalum from the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

SS&A says its mission is to “Make the US-DRC Relationship Great Again” by fostering increased trade, investment, and bilateral cooperation through active engagement. It will engage the Trump administration to highlight the strategic importance that DRC’s natural resources play in the global supply chain.

Scribe founder Joe Szlavik spearheads the effort. He launched the shop in 1992 following a stint in the Bush I White House.

The firm’s one-year contract went into effect on Feb 4, and automatically renews for another year.

The DRC also is working with Trump-connected Ballard Partners, which signed a one-year $1.2M pact in January.