DRC Advances Sovereign Mineral Marketing Through CEEC–HOLDCO Partnership
DRC Launches Transparent Mineral Marketing with CEEC–HOLDCO Strategic Partnership
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, DRC Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba met with a delegation from the Center for Expertise, Evaluation, and Certification (CEEC), led by Chairman Dave Kalemba Nkashama, alongside Director General Freddy Muamba Kanyinku and Thierry Katembwe Mbala.
While not a formal audience, the meeting symbolized the country’s assertion of sovereignty in managing its mineral resources.
The delegation reported on the development of the CEEC–RDC/BGN-USA strategic partnership, formed under a shareholding agreement signed on July 30, 2025. This agreement created a U.S.-based holding company, HOLDCO, headquartered in Houston, Texas, providing the DRC with a direct and secure channel to international mineral markets.
Driven by President Félix Tshisekedi’s vision, the project represents a historic shift: the DRC will no longer sell its minerals through opaque networks but will market them transparently under sovereign control.
“This structural partnership aligns with the government’s vision and marks an important step toward transparency, traceability, and fairness in the supply chain,” the report stated.
The partnership aims to maximize revenue from mining royalties, increase the added value of national resources, and end losses caused by intermediary networks.
HOLDCO: Direct Access to Global Markets
Through HOLDCO, the DRC bypasses questionable intermediaries, establishing a reliable interface for mineral sales to international markets. This system ensures better pricing, secure transactions, and strengthened governance over the mining sector.
Following the agreement, BGN–CEEC teams visited mines in Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, mapped logistics flows, and highlighted the strategic role of the Musompo laboratory, where precious and rare metals associated with copper and cobalt are now accurately detected and measured.
Using E-trace software, every mineral is tracked from extraction to marketing, guaranteeing that no resources go unaccounted for.
Economic and Social Benefits
Minister Kabamba emphasized the national impact:
“This project is a benchmark. It is the instrument the DRC needed to control its market and finally reap what it deserves.”
The initiative will generate direct dividends for the State, strengthen CEEC’s role as a strategic oversight body, and promote fair-trade practices in artisanal mining to benefit local communities.
A Symbol of National Pride
The CEEC lauded President Tshisekedi’s leadership in advancing mining reforms. Beyond economic gains, the partnership enhances the DRC’s sovereign decision-making power, reinforces economic diplomacy with the United States, and signals a new era in which the country controls its mineral resources.
Message to the world: The era of undervalued minerals is over. The DRC chooses, controls, and benefits from its wealth.
