DRC Launches Strategic Plan to Secure 3T Minerals Amid Regional Smuggling Concerns
During the 38th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Friday, April 4, 2025, in Kinshasa, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa emphasized the urgent need to secure the Democratic Republic of Congo’s strategic mineral resources, given the country’s ongoing security challenges.
According to the government’s spokesperson, Minister of Communication and Media Patrick Muyaya, the meeting particularly focused on the minerals known as the “3Ts”—tungsten, tantalum, and tin.
Prime Minister Suminwa chaired a strategic session with experts from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Mines, the Mining Registry, the Service for the Assistance and Supervision of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (SAEMAPE), and the General Cobalt Company (EGC).
The goal was to develop a pilot project to ensure the sustainable and traceable supply of 3T minerals, particularly coltan, in key mining areas such as Manono and Malemba Nkulu.
The urgency of this initiative follows a report by United Nations experts revealing that at least 150 tonnes of coltan had been smuggled from the Rubaya mines into Rwanda.
These mines are currently under the control of the M23 rebel group, which has set up a parallel administration in the area. The smuggled minerals were reportedly mixed with Rwanda’s domestic production, resulting in what has been described as the most significant contamination of 3T mineral supply chains in the Great Lakes region over the past decade.
In response to these developments, members of France’s La France Insoumise party submitted a proposal to their National Assembly for a European resolution.
The proposal calls for a complete embargo on 3T mineral exports from Rwanda, the suspension of economic and defense agreements with Kigali, and the freezing of European budgetary support and military aid to the Rwandan government.
The DRC’s new initiative underscores its commitment to protecting its vast mineral wealth from illegal exploitation and ensuring transparency and traceability in global supply chains.
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