Mining in DRC - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

DRC’s Anti-Corruption Platform to Review Sicomines Amendment at High-Level Forum 1

The anti-corruption platform “Congo is Not for Sale” (CNPAV) is set to host a high-level forum on March 14, 2025, at the Cercle de Kinshasa in Gombe. The event will evaluate the implementation of Amendment 5 to the Sicomines Convention, signed one year ago between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its Chinese partners. In 2008, the DRC signed a “Minerals for Infrastructure” deal with a consortium of Chinese companies, establishing the Sicomines project. While initially presented as a mutually beneficial partnership, the agreement has faced widespread criticism, particularly… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Cobalt

MMG Suspends Cobalt Processing at Kinsevere Amid Price Slump

March 9, 2025March 9, 2025 Constance

Chinese state-controlled miner MMG Ltd has halted operations at its cobalt processing plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) just 15 months after its launch, citing a sharp decline in cobalt prices. The company, 67% owned by China Minmetals Corp, suspended the facility at its Kinsevere mine in December 2024 due to unfavorable market conditions. This decision comes as the Congolese government imposed a four-month export ban on cobalt last week, aiming to curb oversupply and stabilize prices in the world’s leading cobalt-producing nation. MMG recently completed a $600… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Corporate News Governance

CNPAV Demands Fair Renegotiation of Sicomines Agreement to Protect DRC’s Interests

March 9, 2025March 10, 2025 Constance

The Congo Is Not for Sale coalition (CNPAV) is urging the Presidency, the government, Parliament, and the executive committee of the EITI-DRC to take concrete steps to reassess the Sicomines convention and its fifth amendment. The coalition calls for a fairer balance of interests between the parties by addressing structural imbalances, financial losses, and ongoing uncertainty over infrastructure funding. CNPAV reaffirms its commitment to a just renegotiation of the Sicomines contract—one that prioritizes both the short- and long-term interests of the Congolese people and ensures a fairer economic future for… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Corporate News Mining Personality

Chairman of Zijin Mining, Departs as a Director of Ivanhoe’s Board

March 9, 2025March 9, 2025 Constance

Ivanhoe Mines Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland announced that Mr. Jinghe Chen, Chairman of Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., has stepped down from Ivanhoe’s the board of directors and has been replaced with the appointment of Dr. Chun (James) Wang, Vice President of Overseas Operations for Zijin Mining. Mr. Chen has served on Ivanhoe Mines’ board of directors since 2019, following the strategic investment by Zijin Mining into Ivanhoe Mines and the forming of the Kamoa Copper joint venture in 2015. Dr. Wang replaces Mr. Chen on the board of directors,… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Copper Press Release Zinc

Ivanhoe Mines Reports Strong Copper and Zinc Production in the First Two Months of 2025

March 9, 2025March 9, 2025 Constance

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and President & Chief Executive Officer Marna Cloete announced an update on year-to-date production at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc mine, also in the DRC. Kamoa-Kakula delivered near-record copper production in January of 45,477 tonnes and 40,849 tonnes during the shorter month of February. Daily copper production averaged over each month totaled 1,467 tonnes per day (tpd) in January and 1,459 tpd in February. These achievements are just… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Cobalt Copper Lithium

US and DRC in Talks Over Critical Minerals Deal

March 9, 2025March 9, 2025 Constance

The United States is engaging in exploratory discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over a potential agreement that would grant the US access to the country’s critical minerals in exchange for military support. The DRC government reportedly initiated discussions two weeks ago, following an interview in which President Félix Tshisekedi stated that the Trump administration had expressed interest in the nation’s vast mineral resources. The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a key component in electric vehicle batteries, accounting for over 70% of global production. The… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Copper New Mining Projects Tin

Rome Resources Confirms Extensive Copper and Tin Mineralization at Mont Agoma

March 6, 2025March 6, 2025 Constance

AIM-listed Rome Resources has announced promising assay results from drill hole MADD018 at its Mont Agoma prospect in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results confirm a cumulative 62.25 m higher-grade copper zone at 0.61% within a broader 148 m intercept averaging 0.35% copper. Recent drilling has also revealed visible tin across a 40 m interval in hole MADD024, along with a 179 m visible copper zone. Located approximately 70 m beneath the earlier MADD012 drill hole—which reported a 40 m-wide tin zone grading between 0.1% and 0.3%—MADD024 appears to… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Copper

Mercuria and Glencore Renew Copper Deal with Gécamines

March 6, 2025March 10, 2025 Constance

Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. and Glencore Plc have renewed their agreement to purchase copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s state-owned miner, Gécamines. This move aligns with Gécamines’ strategy to independently market its share of output from joint ventures. According to sources familiar with the matter, the two commodity traders successfully bid for copper from the Tenke Fungurume mine, which is majority-owned by China’s CMOC Group Ltd. Mercuria secured 50% of Gécamines’ allocated copper, while Glencore obtained 25%. The remaining 25% has yet to be assigned. These allocations mirror last… Read More Here

Cobalt Economy Mining in DRC

Lualaba Civil Society Backs DRC’s Temporary Cobalt Export Ban to Stabilize Market

March 6, 2025March 6, 2025 Constance

Amid a sharp decline in cobalt prices, civil society organizations in Lualaba, in collaboration with the CASMIA-G ASBL platform, have assessed the government’s recent decision to temporarily suspend cobalt exports. This measure, enacted by the Regulatory and Control Authority for Strategic Mineral Substances Markets (ARECOMS), aims to curb oversupply and stabilize the market. Cobalt, classified as a strategic mineral under Article 7 bis of the Mining Code, is crucial to the Congolese economy. The majority of production comes from Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, sourced from both industrial mines and artisanal cooperatives.… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Governance Uranium

DRC Seeks Exclusive Partnership with US for Critical Minerals and Security Assistance

March 5, 2025March 5, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has proposed an exclusive partnership with the United States, offering access to its vast mineral resources and infrastructure projects in exchange for security assistance amid a rebellion supported by neighboring Rwanda. In a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Congo requested an urgent meeting between Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Donald Trump to discuss a potential agreement that would grant American companies access to some of the world’s most valuable minerals essential for the global energy transition. “As the world’s largest supplier of… Read More Here