Felix Tshisekedi has said a deal with Washington aimed at ending the fighting in his country also seeks to develop the mining sector

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has said his government will not "auction" the country's mineral wealth to the US as part of Washington's efforts to end the protracted violence in the Central African nation's eastern provinces, Reuters reported on Monday.

Tshisekedi reportedly made the remarks while addressing reporters in New York. His office said he also met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the peace process in DR Congo.

Clashes between fighters of the M23 armed group and government forces have escalated in Congo's mineral-rich east since January - with the rebels seizing key mining hubs, including Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu - reportedly leaving thousands dead.

In June, DR Congo signed an agreement with Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of arming the rebels - a charge Kigali denies. US President Donald Trump, whose administration mediated the pact, has said the deal, which calls for a joint security mechanism, also grants Washington rights to local mineral wealth. It also pledges a 90-day Rwandan troop withdrawal from the DR Congo, and outlines disarmament and reintegration steps.

Tshisekedi said on Monday, however, that the agreement has failed to stop the clashes, though he thanked Trump for his efforts to end the hostilities.

READ MORE: Africa peace deal brokered by Trump tied to US resource push

"We will, as part of this partnership, be working in the development of the mining sectors, developing the value chain, developing infrastructure with a particular emphasis on energy," Reuters quoted him as saying.

"[It] does not mean that we will auction our mineral resources," he added.

Tshisekedi also said Rwandan officials have "pretended to withdraw their troops, but in reality they are increasing their support to M23."

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Congo River Alliance (AFC) - a coalition of armed groups in DR Congo that includes the M23 - accused Kinshasa of breaching agreements meant to end the brutal decades-long fighting. Representatives of the group and Congolese officials had signed a declaration in Doha in July setting out a timeline for peace after months of Qatar-mediated talks. The two sides, however, missed an August 18 deadline to finalize a ceasefire, prompting the relaunch of negotiations.

(RT.com)