Highlights: 

• Louis Watum Kabamba, former Gécamines engineer and ex-Ivanhoe Mines DRC chief, becomes Mining Minister with industry backing
• New minister launches consultation framework with mining companies, promising modernized governance to attract investment
• Takes charge amid sensitive US mineral security talks and cobalt quota system implementation

Industry stakeholders widely regard Louis Watum Kabamba as "the right man in the right place" for leading the Democratic Republic of Congo's crucial mining sector. Appointed Mining Minister in the Suminwa II government on August 7, 2025, the École Polytechnique graduate brings deep technical expertise from his career as a pyrometallurgy production engineer at state-owned Gécamines and later managing large-scale mining projects.

Watum had already joined the government in May 2024 as Minister of Industry and SME Development before taking on the mining portfolio a year later. Despite his extensive sector experience, he approaches the role with notable humility.

"I stand here with humility, not only to listen, but also to find out how we are going to get out of this rut," he told mining executives at the first meeting of his ministry's new consultation framework with sector companies on September 18.

The Chamber of Mines organized the gathering at Kamoa Copper, operator of the world-class Kamoa-Kakula copper mine—a site familiar to Watum, who served as Ivanhoe Mines' DRC managing director from 2014 to 2020. Ivanhoe remains the project's operator and 39.6% shareholder.

For his inaugural field visit, the former Chamber of Mines president also toured Tenke Fungurume Mining, one of the country's largest copper and cobalt producers, and met with artisanal miners in Kolwezi. At each stop, he maintained his listening approach, taking careful notes during discussions.

Watum has set ambitious goals: modernizing mining governance to attract investment and maximize economic benefits for Congolese citizens. The Chamber of Mines notes no major sector investment has been recorded since 2018. Business lawyer Romain Battajon argues recovery requires simplifying legislation and streamlining administrative procedures, particularly around taxation, customs, and environmental regulations.

"You can have all the minerals in the world, but if the entry ticket is too complicated and the rules too complex, and if you then have a plethora of controls, sometimes illegal, sometimes legal but very repetitive, you end up tiring those who are there and repelling those who would like to come," warns Landry Djimpe, partner at Innogence Consulting.

Other sector players emphasize improving mineral traceability, digitalizing the mining registry, enhancing geological knowledge, better regulating artisanal mining, and ensuring reliable electricity supply.

Acknowledging these complex challenges, the minister calls for collective effort. "I am convinced that if we put our heads together, we will gradually find a way out of this situation," he told artisanal miners facing numerous difficulties including Mining Code non-compliance, financing shortages, poor working conditions, and market access problems. "We have our part to play, and they have theirs," he added.

Watum assumes leadership during a particularly sensitive period. The DRC is negotiating a "security for minerals" agreement with the United States to attract American investment while implementing a cobalt quota system designed to regulate international markets and encourage local processing. These strategic files will quickly test the effectiveness of the "Watum method" in addressing the sector's deep-rooted challenges.

Pierre Mukoko and Ronsard Luabeya