> They could have striken a deal, e.g. let the U.S. company digitize the records on premise and make them public
They won't - it's a US-EU competition.
The US+UAE is backing the DRC and the EU is backing Rwanda [0][1][2] in order to access critical minerals in Central Africa, most of which are in M23 controlled or adjacent territory [3] whose control is contested between the DRC and Rwanda.
The US under Biden and Trump has backed the DRC but the EU is backing Rwanda and M23.
We're in the midst of a new Scramble for Africa and all countries and blocs are acting unilaterally.