The United States has rejected claims that it sought access to Zimbabwe’s critical minerals under a proposed US$367 million health funding memorandum of understanding (MoU), stating that the agreement was strictly limited to public health cooperation.
The clarification follows Zimbabwe’s decision to discontinue negotiations on the MoU, which had been framed under Washington’s America First Global Health Strategy. Authorities in Harare cited sovereignty concerns in halting discussions.
A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations dismissed speculation that the proposed health partnership was linked to mineral access.
“The MOU focused solely on health cooperation and did not contain any provisions related to Zimbabwe’s critical minerals – neither explicitly nor implicitly,” the official said.
The proposed agreement had aimed to channel significant funding into Zimbabwe’s health sector, though specific programmatic details were not publicly disclosed.
Zimbabwe is rich in critical minerals such as lithium, platinum and rare earth elements, which are increasingly strategic resources in global supply chains. However, U.S. officials maintain that mineral access was not part of the health-focused discussions.
The development comes amid heightened global competition for mineral resources, alongside ongoing diplomatic engagement between Harare and Western capitals.
Source – NewsDay
