The Guardian view on Donald Trump's Congo deal: mineral riches for protection

"The vilest scramble for loot that has ever disfigured the history of human conscience" is how Joseph Conrad described colonial-era concessions granted to private companies for Congo's natural resources in Heart of Darkness. Under Donald Trump, that scramble may be back. If news reports are right, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is offering the US a blunt deal: minerals for military help - a slice of sovereignty traded for a shot at stability. The concern is this isn't a return, it's a sequel. For three decades, Washington supported Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, a cold war ally and brutal dictator who…