Mining in DRC - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Mining in DRC Artisanal mining Regional conflict

Armed Presence Disrupts Artisanal Mining in Walikale

May 25, 2025May 25, 2025 Constance

Artisanal mining operations in Walikale territory, North Kivu, are facing serious disruptions due to the involvement of soldiers and members of the Wazalendo militia, despite clear prohibitions under the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining code. Civil society groups and traditional chiefs have raised concerns over the growing presence of armed actors at mining sites, particularly in the Utunda group of the Wanianga sector. These groups report that soldiers and militias are not just providing protection—they are actively participating in the artisanal extraction of gold and cassiterite by digging wells and… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Lithium

Manono’s Lithium Dream Stalled Amid Rising Local Frustration

May 25, 2025May 25, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is home to one of the world’s largest lithium deposits, a resource that is increasingly vital for the global shift to renewable energy. In the town of Manono, located in the Tanganyika province in the southeast of the country, an estimated 6.6 million tonnes of lithium lie beneath the soil. This mineral is essential for the production of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and electronic devices. Despite the promise of economic transformation and international interest—including from the United States—progress on the Manono lithium… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Corporate News Diamond

Botswana Experts Support MIBA Revival After Positive Site Assessment in Kasai Oriental

May 23, 2025May 23, 2025 Constance

A team of experts from Botswana has completed a positive assessment of the Bakwanga Mining Company (MIBA) site in Kasai Oriental, paving the way for a structured support program aimed at reviving the struggling state-owned diamond company. “We welcomed the Botswanan delegation not as investors, but as technical partners tasked with evaluating our existing resources and helping us develop a recovery program for MIBA,” said Joëlle Kabena, Coordinator of the State Financial Project Management Unit for the Revival of MIBA (UGP-MIBA), following the evaluation meeting. Kabena noted that the team’s… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Corporate News Diamond

DRC Grants SACIM Three-Month Sales Moratorium Amid Financial Crisis in Kasai

May 23, 2025May 23, 2025 Constance

Anhui Congo Mining Investment Company (SACIM), a diamond producer based in Kasai Oriental, has been granted a three-month moratorium allowing it to freely sell its production. The temporary measure is intended to help the company recover from prolonged financial hardship, including unpaid wages and heavy tax obligations. The announcement was made on Tuesday, May 20, in Tshibwe (Miabi territory) by Aristote Mutombo, the presidential envoy for Greater Kasai. He conveyed President Félix Tshisekedi’s decision to repeal Ministerial Order No. 00049/CAB.MIN/MINES/01/2022, issued by former Mines Minister Antoinette Samba Kalambay. The regulation… Read More Here

Mining in DRC

CENCO Backs DRC–U.S. Strategic Minerals Partnership as Path to National Development

May 23, 2025May 23, 2025 Constance

At a press briefing held on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Interdiocesan Center in Kinshasa, Monsignor Donatien Nshole, Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), addressed the growing partnership between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States, particularly concerning the exploitation of strategic minerals such as tin, tungsten, and tantalum—collectively known as the “3Ts.” Monsignor Nshole emphasized the positive potential of this partnership for the Congolese people. “Like many of our compatriots, we hold strong hopes that the negotiations surrounding our natural resources—especially… Read More Here

Mining in DRC

US-Brokered Peace Deal May Open Legal Trade Route for Congolese Minerals via Rwanda

May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 Constance

Congolese minerals such as tungsten, tantalum, and tin—long at the center of tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda—could soon be exported legally to Rwanda for processing under a US-backed peace initiative, according to three sources cited by Reuters. Kinshasa has accused Kigali for years of illegally exploiting its mineral wealth, alleging that tens of millions of dollars’ worth of minerals are smuggled across the border each month. These accusations are closely tied to the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have escalated hostilities… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

CMOC and Glencore Clash Over Future of DRC Cobalt Export Ban

May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 Constance

China’s CMOC and Switzerland’s Glencore have taken opposing stances on how to proceed after the suspension of cobalt exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which supplied 76% of the world’s cobalt in 2024. CMOC is advocating for a swift end to the export embargo, while Glencore-affiliated traders argue that the market must stabilize before Congolese cobalt re-enters the global supply chain. The issue was addressed during the recent Cobalt Congress in Singapore, in a meeting attended by DRC’s Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba. CMOC Vice-President Kenny Ives emphasized… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

Congo’s Cobalt Export Ban Nears Expiry Amid Market Uncertainty

May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 Constance

In February, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) imposed a four-month ban on cobalt exports, a measure now under review according to the country’s Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba. He made the announcement on May 14 at the Cobalt Congress 2025 in Singapore. At the time the ban was enacted, the country’s regulatory body for strategic minerals, Arecoms, stated that an assessment would be conducted three months into the measure, with possible adjustments or a full reversal depending on the findings. With the ban set to expire on June 22,… Read More Here

Corporate News Copper Mining in DRC

ERG Wins 2024 TXF Deal of the Year for $150M African Copper Financing

May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 Constance

Global metals and mining group Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), headquartered in Luxembourg, has received the ‘TXF Metals and Mining Deal of the Year Award 2024’ for its US$ 150 million pre-export finance facility arranged with Bank of China Limited, London Branch, and Glencore International AG: TXF’s Perfect Ten Commodity Finance Deals of the Year. The facility is supported by a supply agreement for copper cathodes produced by ERG’s Metalkol facility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The award, announced at the TXF Global Natural Resources and Commodity Finance… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Copper Corporate News New Mining Projects

Ivanhoe Mines Reports Temporary Interruption of Underground Mining at Kakula Mine

May 21, 2025May 21, 2025 Constance

Ivanhoe Mines reported yesterday that mining operations are temporarily suspended at the Kakula underground mine at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the past week, seismic activity was experienced in the eastern section of the Kakula mine, leading to Kamoa Copper’s management team suspending underground operations on Sunday, May 18, 2025. All employees were safely brought above ground in line with protocols, and mobile equipment was removed from the mine workings. No injuries were reported. Senior management and geotechnical specialists have been mobilized to… Read More Here