Tag Archives: Congo

#African Mining Week 2026 centres AI in mineral exploration

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DRC leads on AI exploration

The DRC, one of Africa’s most resource-rich jurisdictions, has positioned AI at the centre of its exploration strategy. Speaking at last year’s AMW the country’s Minister of Mines said AI-enabled exploration has the potential to reduce resource-discovery timelines to under three years, and that the government is working to unlock 90 per cent of DRC’s geology and more than US$24 trillion in untapped mineral value.

Recent deployments back the rhetoric. In February 2026, the DRC partnered with Xcalibur Smart Mapping to use advanced geospatial solutions for mapping critical minerals and lowering exploration risk. The country is also working with US-based startup KoBold Metals to apply AI-driven techniques at the Mingomba Lithium Mine.

Zambia, Ghana, Botswana, and Burundi

The trend extends beyond DRC. KoBold Metals is also applying AI at Zambia’s Mingomba Copper Project to identify high-grade deposits, backing the government’s push to lift annual copper output to three million tonnes by 2031. Burundi has partnered with KoBold and Lifezone Metals to digitise its geological database and assess the 140-million-tonne Musongati Nickel Project.

In Ghana, the Ghana Gold Board and the Ghana Geological Survey Authority are using AI-assisted mineral prospectivity modelling across the Funsi, Atuna, and Bensere East concessions, aligning with a national drive to expand gold reserves and production.

Botswana is using the same tool-set to diversify away from diamonds. Botswana Minerals has identified eight new copper deposits through AI-powered exploration, accelerating the country’s move into critical minerals.

The capital pitch

The underlying economic pitch is large. Organisers estimate Africa sits on $8.5 trillion in untapped mineral resources, and point to the continent’s 30 per cent share of global critical minerals at a moment when demand is projected to triple by 2030. AI’s role, AMW’s 2026 programming suggests, is to compress exploration cycles, reduce the cost of de-risking ground, and tighten operational efficiency once mines are producing.

Read more at: Tech Africa

#Congo Plans Paramilitary Unit for Mines With #US, #UAE Funding

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A digital illustration featuring a pile of critical minerals surrounded by a transparent dome, with the words 'CONGO CRITICAL MINERALS' prominently displayed. In the background, flags of the United States, Italy, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are visible, alongside an industrial setting.

The Democratic Republic of Congo will create a paramilitary unit to police its mines with funding from the US and United Arab Emirates, the country’s General Inspectorate of Mines said.

The agency will invest $100 million and deploy as many of 3,000 armed recruits by December, with a goal of 20,000 “mining guards” around the country by 2028, it said in an emailed statement on Monday.

The force will secure production, ensure traceable transport of minerals, and replace “defense forces currently deployed in mining zones,” according to the statement.

Police currently patrol most operations, but military and presidential guard personnel are occasionally found at sites, often in breach of the country’s mining code. The new unit will eventually replace the police, the IGM told Bloomberg in a separate message.

Congo is the world’s second-biggest source of copper and largest producer of key battery mineral cobalt. While those two metals are largely mined at massive industrial projects, most of Congo’s mines are dug by hand by millions of artisanal miners.

Read more at: Bloomberg

#US Seeks #Congo #CriticalMinerals Influence Through Peace and Investment Partnership

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World map highlighting critical minerals and their locations, including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements in various countries.

The U.S. hopes through the minerals partnership to convert peace and investment deals with Congo into influence over the ​country’s critical-minerals supply chain.

The U.S. has stepped up efforts to secure critical mineral supplies globally for a strategic metals ​stockpile as it seeks to reduce reliance on China and counter China’s dominance in Africa.

The U.S. ⁠is in the process of soliciting private sector feedback on the list of assets, the official told Reuters on Friday.

“We have ​significant interest, yes,” the official said, but declined to name the companies, saying “the conversations are still forming.”

Reuters

#LMEL (Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited) eyes #Cobalt from #Congo to #India through #US partnership

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An illustrative map highlighting global trade routes connecting North America, India, and Africa, emphasizing the exchange of minerals and technology. The image features icons representing strategic partnerships, resilient supply chains, and a cleaner future, with the tagline 'Stronger Together: Minerals. Trade. Progress.'

LMEL eyes cobalt from Congo to India through US partnership

Nagpur: Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited (LMEL), which has taken over CHEMAF Group, a mining company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), early this month by forming a joint venture with US’ Virtus Mineral Group, plans to get its share of cobalt from the African nation to India as well.

The sharing formula would depend on the agreement between Indian and American governments as the venture also has a US partner. CHEMAF’s mines are seen as a major non-Chinese source of cobalt, a critical mineral, especially when India doesn’t have any major resources of the metal.

“The production is expected to start within the current fiscal,” said LMEL’s managing director B Prabhakaran.

The company projects an initial output of 20,000 tonnes of cobalt and 60,000 tonnes of copper a year from the Congo mines. CHEMAF Group has mines in Congo’s Katanga belt, known to be among the biggest copper reserves in the world apart from having sizeable cobalt deposits.

The takeover of CHEMAF Group by the LMEL–Virtus combine is also seen as a major victory for the US government, as it could outmanoeuvre the Chinese players who were also eyeing the company.

Source: The Times of India

#DRC – #Kinshasa on verge of winning its bet on the #Cobalt market

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Illustration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlighted on a map of Africa, featuring a mining scene with a mineral processing plant and various minerals like cobalt, copper, coltan, and lithium. The country's flag is prominently displayed.

Fully focused on its goal of regulating the precious mineral sector, Félix Tshisekedi’s presidency expects significant fiscal returns this year. The authorities, however, have had to contend with pressure from Chinese operators eager to obtain larger quotas, as well as the reluctance of certain administrations.

Read more at: https://www.africaintelligence.com/central-africa/2026/04/07/kinshasa-on-verge-of-winning-its-bet-on-the-cobalt-market,110698845-eve

Under the presidency of Félix Tshisekedi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is aggressively reshaping its role in the global mineral market, specifically targeting the cobalt and gold sectors to maximize state revenue and economic sovereignty. 

Fiscal Returns and Strategic Control 

For 2026, the Congolese Treasury has set ambitious financial targets tied to its newfound status as a market “price maker”. 

  • Projected Revenue: The government expects roughly $2.3 billion in public revenue this year from cobalt alone.
  • Market Influence: By implementing a strict quota system (capped at 96,600 tonnes for 2026), Kinshasa successfully pushed prices from $21,000 in early 2025 to over $56,000 as of April 2026.
  • Alternative Scenario: Authorities estimate that without these regulatory interventions, revenues would have been limited to approximately $617 million. 

Friction with Chinese Operators

The administration is navigating complex relationships with Chinese mining companies, which currently dominate much of the DRC’s mineral extraction. 

  • Quota Resistance: Major Chinese firms, notably CMOC Group, have vocally opposed the 2026 quotas, arguing they are too restrictive compared to their production capacity.
  • Processing Ultimatum: The Ministry of Mines is leveraging these quotas to force Chinese operators into local processing agreements, aiming to shift the country away from being a mere raw material exporter.
  • Audit of Legacy Deals: In March 2026, the government launched a comprehensive technical and financial audit of the Sicomines “infrastructure-for-minerals” deal to ensure compliance and fair returns. 

Administrative and Geopolitical Hurdles

Domestic and international pressures continue to complicate the regulatory rollout:

  • Bureaucratic Reluctance: Delays in implementing new export procedures at the end of 2025 caused bottlenecks at key transit points like the Kasumbalesa border post, forcing the government to refine its administrative arrangements.
  • The “U.S. Pivot”: Under a strategic partnership signed in late 2025, the U.S. is pushing for access to critical minerals to counter Chinese dominance. This includes a 44-project shortlist handed to Washington in February 2026, creating additional geopolitical friction.
  • New Enforcement Measures: To counter administrative weakness, the state recently partnered with Quantum to establish a “tax brigade” for better oversight of mining operators. 

#Congo and China deepen mining ties as #US pushes rival minerals pact – includes duty-free access and promotion of local processing.

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Two miners, one wearing a blue helmet and the other a red helmet, shake hands in front of a large map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, showcasing mining areas. A construction site is visible in the background with heavy machinery and several workers.

Congo’s exports to China are already due to benefit from duty-free access to China ​from May 1 under an initiative covering 53 African countries.

The new agreement sets out cooperation on geological data sharing, investment protection and the promotion of local processing of raw materials in Congo, according to the Congolese government statement ​published late on Thursday.

It also includes a monitoring mechanism to ensure projects comply with Congolese law ​and are implemented in a stable and transparent investment environment.

Read more at: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/congo-china-deepen-mining-ties-us-pushes-rival-minerals-pact-2026-03-27/

#Bloomberg: #Congo to Enforce Local Ownership Rule for #Copper, #Cobalt Miners

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Democratic Republic of Congo will enforce a long-dormant rule requiring local employee ownership for mines in a move that may rebalance shareholdings in some of the world’s biggest copper and cobalt producers.

In a letter dated Jan. 30 and addressed to miners of all metals in the country, Mines Minister Louis Watum said firms must demonstrate that 5% of their share capital is held by Congolese employees.

The decision could affect multiple industrial mining projects in the central African nation, which provides about 70% of cobalt supply and is the second-largest copper producer. Glencore Plc, CMOC Group Ltd., Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Eurasian Resources Group and Zijin Mining Group Co. are among the country’s biggest miners. Barrick Mining Corp. operates one of Africa’s largest gold mines in the country, which also has vast deposits of lithium, tantalum, tin and zinc.

The move comes amid ongoing negotiations between the Trump administration and Congo that could see more US companies invest in the country’s mining industry, which has previously been dominated by Chinese enterprises.

Read more at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-09/congo-to-enforce-local-ownership-rule-for-copper-cobalt-miners

Exxaro aims to mine iron-ore in Congo this year

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JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s Exxaro expects to start mining iron ore in the Republic of Congo this year, with an eye to producing up to 10 million tonnes a year, as the miner diversifies beyond its traditional reliance on coal.

 

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/exxaro-aims-to-mine-iron-ore-in-congo-this-year-2013-04-10?