DRC and Indonesia Strengthen Strategic Ties Around Natural Resources
A new milestone in the growing strategic partnership between Kinshasa and Jakarta was reached on April 23, 2025, as Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Prabowo Subianto held their second exchange since the Indonesian leader’s inauguration.
Their goal: to deepen multifaceted cooperation and reinforce diplomacy centered on natural resources.
The two heads of state spoke via videoconference, continuing the dialogue initiated on December 14, 2024, shortly after Prabowo Subianto’s election.
Discussions focused on creating partnerships across economic, mining, agricultural, diplomatic, and infrastructure sectors.
Jakarta is positioning itself as a strategic ally to Kinshasa, with both nations facing shared challenges—particularly around the sustainable development of natural resources.
A state visit by President Tshisekedi to Indonesia is expected in the second half of 2025, underscoring the momentum of this bilateral relationship.
Shared Environmental Priorities
Both the DRC and Indonesia, key custodians of major tropical forest basins, had already demonstrated their commitment to a united front at the 2023 Summit of the Eight Amazon Pact signatories in Brazil.
This alliance signals the emergence of a South-South forestry diplomacy, responding to global climate emergencies.
“This growing partnership offers the DRC a rare opportunity to build an ambitious South-South cooperation framework, beyond traditional development aid models,” says an African geopolitics expert.
“The challenge will be to turn these ambitions into concrete projects, particularly in developing mining and agricultural value chains,” the expert adds.
