MINING (250)
Copper Intelligence has acquired a second exploration permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding its footprint into the south of the country after an initial entry in North Kivu. The company announced the acquisition of exploration permit PR-15880, covering the Kitungu project in Kasenga territory, Haut-Katanga province.
In a statement dated April 29, 2026, the company said the permit covers 764.55 hectares in the Congolese Copperbelt, approximately 73 kilometers in a straight line from Lubumbashi. The site is accessible from the provincial capital via National Road 5.
The acquisition marks a further step in Copper Intelligence's strategy in the DRC. The company had previously entered North Kivu through the Butembo copper project, where it says exploration work is ongoing, including preparations for a drilling campaign.
Historical data
Copper Intelligence targets assets with existing preliminary geological indicators. At Butembo, the project's appeal rested partly on surface sampling results and data from artisanal shafts and exploration trenches, with copper grades of up to 18% reported in selected samples. Those results remain preliminary and do not constitute a certified resource estimate.
For the Kitungu project, the rationale for the acquisition rests in part on historical data. According to Copper Intelligence, previous operators had estimated the presence of approximately 18.2 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 1.74% copper.
Reinterpreting the historical data using its own geological models, the company cited a broader conceptual estimate of up to approximately 27 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.54% copper. In a more conservative estimate focused on higher-grade zones, it referenced approximately 24.8 million tonnes at 1.62% copper.
Those figures should be treated with caution. They are based not on new drilling by Copper Intelligence but on a reinterpretation of older data, and they constitute neither mining reserves nor certified resources under international standards.
Exploration to be confirmed
The company noted that the nine historical drill holes available cover only a limited area of the project, spanning roughly 700 meters. That information points to potential extensions of the mineralized zone, which will need to be confirmed through additional work.
Copper Intelligence said it had also conducted preliminary economic simulations to test the project's potential. Those analyses remain early-stage and will depend on the results of future drilling, a necessary step before any resource estimate compliant with international standards and any industrial development decision can be made.
According to information available from the Mining Cadastre, permit PR-15880 was previously associated with Rock Mining SARL, a company that describes itself on its website as focused on the exploration and development of mining projects in the DRC.
The transaction comes amid intensifying international competition for copper and critical minerals as industrial players seek to secure new sources of supply.
At this stage, Copper Intelligence's assets in the DRC remain in the exploration phase. Any eventual development will depend on drilling results, resource certification, technical and economic studies, and the necessary regulatory approvals.
Timothée Manoke
APCSC, the DRC's agency responsible for monitoring cooperation agreements between the government and private investors, and U.S. company Virtus Co LLC signed a memorandum of understanding on June 4, 2026. The document, whose contents have not been made public, was signed by the two entities' directors general, Freddy Yodi Shembo and Phil Braun.
The APCSC described the agreement as a partnership aimed at promoting geological exploration, mining project development and attracting investment. It came just two days after Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba met with a Virtus Minerals delegation led by Braun. Virtus Minerals took over Chemaf's mining assets this year under the strategic partnership signed on Dec. 4 between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States.
According to the mines ministry, the meeting was intended to review progress "since approval of the takeover of the Chemaf group's mining assets" as part of regular oversight by Congolese authorities. The minister specifically required the submission of a "monthly activity report" to monitor the project's progress.
That close attention reflects the significance of the assets involved. In March, Kinshasa approved Virtus Minerals' offer to take over Chemaf's operations, which include the Mutoshi copper-cobalt project in Kolwezi and the Etoile project in Lubumbashi. Planned expansions at both sites are expected to produce roughly 75,000 tonnes of copper and 20,000 tonnes of cobalt hydroxide per year.
Chemaf also holds approximately 60 mining titles, including around 30 exploitation permits spread across several provinces, according to the mining register as of Sept. 30, 2025.
In its June 2 communiqué, the mines ministry said Virtus reported that work on the Etoile and Mutoshi projects had resumed and was continuing. The company also reaffirmed its commitment to local development, job creation and dialogue with surrounding communities, the ministry said.
Concrete details on the restart remain sparse, however. Several months after the transaction was announced, the financial structure intended to fully revive operations has not been made public. Congolese authorities have also repeatedly stressed the need to honour commitments inherited from Chemaf, particularly toward local subcontractors and partners.
Reservations
That caution is reflected in the oversight framework established for the takeover. Beyond the mines ministry's oversight role, the APCSC's involvement signals the state's determination to maintain close watch over the project's development.
Created in March 2022 and reporting to the Prime Minister's Office, the APCSC is a public body responsible for steering, coordinating, managing and monitoring the implementation of collaboration and cooperation agreements signed between the Congolese government and private partners, particularly in basic infrastructure and natural resources.
According to the Federation of Congo Enterprises, the APCSC was created partly in response to "the lethargy observed in the implementation of the Sino-Congolese contract," under which minerals were to finance infrastructure, an arrangement widely seen as yielding an unfavourable outcome for the DRC.
Since the takeover process was launched, Kinshasa has stepped up oversight and direct discussions with the incoming operators. Between reporting requirements, monitoring meetings and now the APCSC partnership, authorities are seeking to ensure that revival pledges translate into actual investment, a sustained restart of production and compliance with commitments made.
That approach also reflects a degree of scepticism. In the Chemaf takeover, Virtus Minerals partnered with Indian group Lloyds Metals and Energy. Neither company has any significant known experience in the large-scale industrial mining of copper and cobalt in the DRC.
Virtus, founded by former U.S. military personnel, owns a small metallurgical plant in Haut-Katanga, an asset described by Africa Business+ as not comparable to the copper and cobalt mines previously operated by Chemaf.
Lloyds Metals, historically specialised in iron ore, has limited experience in copper-cobalt supply chains. In the DRC, its main exposure to those metals appears to run through its capital links with Surya Mines SARL. That company launched copper and cobalt production in 2025 at its Kitemina plant in Haut-Katanga province, with an announced annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes of copper cathodes and 5,000 tonnes of cobalt hydroxide.
Pierre Mukoko
DR Congo's Ministry of Mines announced on June 2 the precautionary suspension of all mining activities in areas adjacent to Maiko National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The decision followed inspections by technical teams from the ministries of Mines and Environment after the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) raised concerns in a letter to the authorities.
In that letter, the ICCN warned that two mining companies -Stone Mining SARLU and Xin Hong Kuang Ye SARL which hold exploration permits No. 16591 and No. 16594 respectively- had been operating near the boundaries of Maiko National Park.
According to the Ministry of Mines, consultations between the relevant government agencies identified several concerns. The two companies are suspected of using their exploration permits to carry out activities that effectively amount to mining, in violation of the Mining Code and Mining Regulations.
A mission announced
The authorities also raised the possibility of breaches of nature conservation laws, which prohibit activities incompatible with the protection of designated conservation areas. The ministry noted that the activities in question were taking place in environmentally sensitive zones near a national park.
The statement also cited the presence of unidentified armed individuals within the permit areas, adding a security dimension to a case already marked by environmental and mining concerns.
In response, the Ministry of Mines ordered a precautionary suspension of mining activities in the affected permit areas. According to the authorities, the measure is intended to safeguard natural resources and protected areas pending a more comprehensive assessment of the situation.
A joint mission involving officials from the ministries of Interior, Defence, Environment and Mines is expected to be deployed in the coming days. It will be tasked with assessing conditions on the ground and recommending appropriate measures.
Boaz Kabeya
Workers at Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) launched a strike on June 1, 2026, threatening output at one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's largest copper and cobalt operations. The walkout centres on a new collective bargaining agreement signed between management and union representatives that workers say fails to meet their demands on pay and working conditions.
According to Radio Okapi, workers have continued their action in Lualaba province, arguing that the agreement does not adequately address their concerns. They have also criticised the negotiation process as insufficiently inclusive.
In a memorandum addressed to TFM's chief executive on June 2, 2026, strikers accused the union delegation of finalising revisions to the collective agreement without prior consultation with the broader workforce.
Key demands include a higher base salary, full payment of overtime hours and improved working conditions. Workers are also calling for a housing allowance equal to 30% of net pay, a school allowance of $85 per child, better healthcare coverage and an end-of-negotiation bonus of $1,500.
The strike has already disrupted operations. Several industrial machines have been idled, according to Radio Okapi. Local sources also report blockades on certain access roads to the mine, aimed at preventing employees willing to return from reaching their posts.
Strategic site
The dispute carries implications beyond the immediate labour conflict. TFM, a subsidiary of Chinese group CMOC, is one of the country's most strategically significant mining assets. According to 2025 mining statistics from the Technical Coordination and Mining Planning Unit (CTCPM), the company produced 509,352 tonnes of copper and 32,551 tonnes of cobalt in 2025.
Those volumes represent approximately 14.6% of national copper output and close to one-third of Congo's cobalt production, although the national cobalt figures published by the CTCPM differ from the consolidated data reported by CMOC for its overall DRC operations. According to the Chinese group's data, its DRC operations produced approximately 741,100 tonnes of copper and 117,500 tonnes of cobalt in 2025, generating revenue of 61.3 billion yuan, or about $8.6 billion, up 21.15% year on year.
Any prolonged disruption at TFM could therefore have significant effects on the country's mining output and on CMOC's performance in the DRC. So far, TFM's management has not issued a detailed public statement on the workers' demands, the precise impact on production or the conditions for resuming talks.
The ongoing strike leaves the company facing a dual challenge: containing operational disruptions at a major copper-cobalt site while reopening labour negotiations after a section of its workforce rejected the collective agreement.
Ronsard Luabeya
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) launched a regional programme in Lusaka, Zambia, on June 2, 2026, aimed at developing responsible value chains for critical minerals used in the energy transition across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The five-year project will be implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. It seeks to expand local mineral processing, support new industries, increase the economic benefits retained within producing countries, and improve the management of the sector's environmental and social impacts.
Funded through the German government's International Climate Initiative (IKI), the programme has a budget of approximately 15.03 million euros. It comes as global demand for minerals used in batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies continues to rise.
According to a recent United Nations briefing to the Security Council, global demand for critical minerals could triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040. Other international forecasts also point to strong growth in demand for minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, copper, manganese and nickel, which are essential to the energy transition.
For the ECA, this trend offers African countries an opportunity to capture more value from their natural resources. The project aims to encourage local processing, expand industrial capacity, promote skills transfer, integrate small and medium-sized enterprises into supply chains, and increase participation by women and young people in emerging industries linked to the energy transition.
Local processing
Research by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on the development of African mining value chains suggests that, at current prices, the market value of African exports of copper, cobalt, phosphate, manganese, graphite and nickel could rise from around $70 billion today to nearly $120 billion by 2040 if refining and processing capacity is expanded on the continent.
Such growth would depend largely on African countries increasing the share of minerals processed domestically. Processing rates currently vary widely by mineral. The IEA estimates that about 62% of copper extracted in Africa is refined on the continent, compared with 33% of phosphate and only 3% of cobalt.
Under a higher-value processing scenario, the proportion of cobalt refined locally could increase, although it would remain lower than that of several other minerals. The market value generated from cobalt could also rise, provided producing countries continue to strengthen their industrial, energy and logistics capacity.
The DRC is central to this strategy. The country accounts for around 70% of global cobalt mine production and holds substantial copper reserves, making it a key supplier to battery manufacturing value chains.
ESG challenges
For Kinshasa and other countries in the region, the challenge is no longer limited to increasing mineral production. It is also about developing higher-value industrial activities linked to those resources. This approach is consistent with the African Union's Africa Mining Vision, which encourages member states to use mineral wealth as a driver of industrialisation, job creation and economic diversification.
The programme also places a strong focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Partners plan to strengthen ESG frameworks to reduce the negative effects of mining activities on local communities and ecosystems.
Awareness campaigns, training programmes and consultations with civil society organisations, mining communities and local authorities are also planned. The aim is to ensure a more equitable distribution of mining benefits while supporting job creation, industrial development and stronger integration of local communities into mining value chains.
For the DRC, the regional initiative could provide additional support for its ambitions to expand domestic processing of critical minerals. Its impact, however, will depend on whether it succeeds in attracting investment, developing new industrial capacity and improving governance across mineral supply chains.
Timothée Manoke
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking to strengthen its capacity to manage and use petroleum data, with support from Algeria. The objective forms part of a memorandum of understanding signed on May 30, 2026, in Algiers by Acacia Bandubola Mbongo, the DRC's minister of hydrocarbons, and Mohamed Arkab, Algeria's minister of energy and mines.
According to a statement from the Congolese Ministry of Hydrocarbons, the agreement is intended to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the hydrocarbons sector. Kinshasa aims to draw on Algeria's experience in developing a modern petroleum database that meets international standards.
For the DRC, improving the storage, management and use of industry data is a strategic priority. Reliable geological and petroleum information remains a key factor in attracting investment to the sector.
The agreement follows discussions that began several months ago. Congolese authorities said exchanges between the two countries started in November 2025 in Brazzaville on the sidelines of a meeting of the African Petroleum Producers' Organization (APPO), eventually leading to the signing of the agreement in Algiers.
Broader cooperation agenda
Beyond petroleum data management, the DRC has identified several areas for cooperation with Algeria. These include the marketing of oil blocks, efforts to attract investment, improved management of petroleum data, stronger oversight of the upstream sector and workforce training.
Kinshasa also wants to expand technical cooperation between the National Hydrocarbons Company of Congo (Sonahydroc) and Algeria's Sonatrach, one of Africa's largest oil and gas companies. The scope of the partnership, its implementation timetable and the projects involved have not yet been disclosed.
The initiative comes as the DRC continues efforts to reform its petroleum sector and improve its attractiveness to investors. In 2025, the government launched a review of the country's hydrocarbons law after identifying several barriers to investment, particularly following challenges encountered during the licensing round for 27 oil blocks launched in 2022.
Among the issues identified were a lack of recent geological data, the need to modernize technical documentation and the importance of improving the security of information provided to investors.
Against this backdrop, cooperation with Algeria could help the DRC better organize its petroleum data resources and strengthen the credibility of future licensing campaigns. The memorandum signed in Algiers nevertheless remains a framework agreement. Its impact will depend on how it is implemented, the resources allocated and the projects ultimately carried out by both parties.
Boaz Kabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to create Adex RDC SA, a joint venture aimed at strengthening the processing and international marketing of diamonds and colored gemstones, particularly those produced through artisanal mining. Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba presented the project to the Council of Ministers on May 29, 2026, and the government approved the initiative following deliberations.
According to the Council of Ministers' minutes, Adex RDC SA will be equally owned by the Mining Fund for Future Generations (FOMIN) and Adex Platform AG, with each partner holding a 50% stake.
The partnership is intended to modernize the Congolese diamond industry and help the country retain a larger share of the value generated by its mineral resources.
In his presentation to the government, the mines minister highlighted the Swiss partner's experience in the diamond sector. According to the minutes, Adex Platform AG is a consortium that includes companies and industry stakeholders involved with the World Diamond Council.
Local processing
The project aims to develop higher-value activities within the country, including the cutting, polishing and international marketing of diamonds and colored gemstones. Authorities expect this approach to increase revenues from the sector by reducing reliance on exports of rough stones.
According to estimates from the Center for Expertise, Evaluation and Certification (CEEC) cited in the government presentation, the artisanal mining deposits targeted by the project, which have been exploited since 1936, could sustain production for at least another 50 years.
The government also expects the venture to generate substantial revenue for the public treasury during its first five years of operation. However, the Council of Ministers' minutes do not specify the projected amounts or provide a timeline for the company's ramp-up.
Authorities estimate that the project could create between 30 and 40 direct jobs within Adex RDC SA, along with 120 to 150 indirect jobs. The initiative is also expected to facilitate the transfer of technology and expertise from Switzerland to the DRC.
For Kinshasa, the creation of Adex RDC SA could support the emergence of downstream industries linked to the diamond sector, including jewelry manufacturing and other value-added processing activities.
The government has yet to disclose details of the company's operating model, investment plans, launch timeline and the exact scope of its future activities.
Ronsard Luabeya
The release of $50 million earmarked for the revival of Société Minière de Bakwanga (MIBA) remains contingent on the completion of several preconditions, including a comprehensive audit of the company. Jean-Charles Okoto, chairman of the company's board of directors, made the statement in an interview with local media.
He said the requirement comes from MIBA's shareholders, namely the Congolese state, which holds an 80% stake, and ASA Resources Group, the minority shareholder with a 20% interest.
The process includes a general audit of the company, an inventory of its assets and the validation of the minimum recovery plan before it can be implemented.
Valued at approximately $70 million, the plan targets production of nearly 2.5 million carats in 2026. It is structured around five priority areas: the certification of mineral reserves, the securing of mining concessions, productive investments, the management of personnel costs, and the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework alongside other strategic investments.
Okoto said the announced funding is already in place. "The $50 million has been secured and is available for MIBA. There are also, according to the latest information, an additional $20 million available, bringing the total funding package to more than $70 million to cover the budget of the minimum recovery plan currently under validation," he said.
The board chairman also indicated that the minority shareholder would need to mobilize additional resources to support the process. Based on its 20% stake, ASA Resources could be called upon to contribute approximately $12.5 million should the shareholders seek to maintain the current capital structure.
The statements come as MIBA's management has already taken steps toward restarting operations. In early May, Director General André Kabanda Kana made a provisional award to South African firm Bond Equipment (PTY) LTD for a contract covering the supply of industrial equipment for MIBA's operations in Mbuji-Mayi, following a call for tenders.
The total value of the contract stands at $57.45 million, inclusive of taxes, divided into five lots, with approximately $2.3 million in additional transport costs. The technical specifications of the equipment were not detailed in the notice reviewed.
At this stage, available documents do not establish whether the contract will be financed directly from the $50 million allocated to the revival effort. The validation of the minimum recovery plan, the general audit and the asset inventory therefore remain key steps before the funds can be disbursed.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Congolese government is once again tightening control over the mining sector in South Kivu. In a ministerial decree signed on May 22, 2026, Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba suspended all mining activities for three months in the territories of Mwenga and Shabunda — two sensitive mining zones that have long been associated with illicit mineral extraction, fraud and the financing of insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
South Kivu is one of the DRC’s main artisanal mining regions, producing gold, tin and coltan, a strategic mineral used in high-tech manufacturing. Much of the extraction in the province is carried out by artisanal miners operating in remote and weakly regulated areas.
The ministry said the suspension was prompted by a “resurgence of illegal mining activities” reported in South Kivu province, particularly in Mwenga and Shabunda. The decree also cites the impact of these activities on national security and territorial integrity, saying revenues generated from illegal exploitation contribute to destabilizing activities in eastern Congo.
The measure follows a pattern already seen several times in South Kivu: temporary suspensions, administrative inspections, selective reopening for compliant operators, followed by renewed illegal practices. The latest decision highlights the government’s continued struggle to establish lasting control over the mining sector in the east of the country, where armed groups and smuggling networks remain deeply entrenched.
Minister Watum Kabamba has recently intensified enforcement operations against illegal mineral exploitation in eastern DRC. During an inspection tour last April in the provinces of Ituri, Bas-Uélé and Maniema, he ordered the closure of several gold mining sites operating without valid mining titles or extraction permits. He also denounced fraud and smuggling networks accused of weakening state control over the country’s mineral resources.
Under the decree, an inspection mission led by the General Mining Inspectorate will be deployed in coordination with other state authorities. The mission will verify the legality of ongoing operations, investigate reported violations, identify those responsible and recommend corrective measures.
Boaz Kabeya
Ivanhoe Mines has launched a tender for a 10-MW solar power plant with battery storage to supply its Kipushi zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the company said in its first-quarter 2026 financial report published May 6.
The facility is intended to provide stable baseload power, supported by storage capacity of up to 200 MWh over 24 hours. The project will be built on a 70-hectare site near the mine and developed, owned and operated by a third-party partner under a take-or-pay agreement. Commissioning is expected in late 2027.
The project comes as Kipushi continues to face unstable electricity supply. In its financial report published Aug. 27, 2025, Ivanhoe said it was strengthening backup capacity by installing an additional 6 MW of generators to support operations during periods of grid instability.
In annual results released Jan. 15, 2026, the company said it had further expanded backup generation capacity at Kipushi during the fourth quarter of 2025 to reduce disruptions linked to instability on the Congolese power grid.
Despite those measures, Ivanhoe acknowledged in its first-quarter 2026 report that grid instability continued to disrupt concentrator operations. The company said it had increased backup generator capacity at the site by 20%, bringing total installed backup capacity to 20 MW.
Separately, upgrades to Kipushi’s 120-kV electricity substation were completed and commissioned at the end of the first quarter of 2026. According to Ivanhoe, the upgrades should improve management of grid fluctuations and help protect strategic infrastructure, including the concentrator.
Production ramp-up
The solar project is intended to reduce reliance on diesel backup generators, which are currently used intermittently.
At the same time, Kipushi is undergoing a rapid production ramp-up. According to operational results published Jan. 15, 2026, the zinc mine — owned 62% by Ivanhoe Mines and 38% by Gécamines — quadrupled output in 2025 to 203,168 tonnes of zinc concentrate, from 50,307 tonnes in 2024.
The increase followed engineering work launched in September 2024 to expand concentrator processing capacity by 20%. The optimization program was completed in early August 2025.
Production growth continued into the first quarter of 2026. Ivanhoe said Kipushi produced 65,044 tonnes of zinc in concentrate during the first three months of the year, compared with 42,736 tonnes a year earlier. Sales reached 54,940 tonnes of zinc, up from 30,108 tonnes in the first quarter of 2025, at an average realized price of $1.47 per pound.
For 2026, the company is targeting production of between 240,000 and 290,000 tonnes of concentrate. With output rising, securing reliable electricity supply has become critical to stabilizing operations and sustaining the mine’s expansion.
The energy strategy forms part of broader investments by Ivanhoe in the DRC. At Kamoa Copper — a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group, Crystal River Global Limited and the Congolese state — a 60-MW solar plant is under construction near Kolwezi. The company has also started signing contracts for a second phase of the program, which aims to increase total solar capacity to 120 MW.
Timothée Manoke
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China's Chengtun Mining Group is deepening its presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After finalizing the acquisition of Loncor Gold, which owns the Adumbi gold project in Ituri, for C$267 million, the group is now targeting a copper-cobalt asset in Lualaba.
According to an announcement published on April 8, 2026, on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Chengtun Mining plans to invest $300 million to acquire a 50% stake in Nkoyi Leopard Mining and Investment. The company holds 60% of the mining rights to a copper-cobalt project in Lualaba. The transaction would give Chengtun an indirect 30% interest in the project.
Chengtun does not identify the permit concerned in its announcement. Several details, however, suggest the asset is the Kabulungu project, held through Kabulungu Kamilombe Mining (KKM). These include its location in the Congolese Copperbelt, an area exceeding 10.9 square kilometers, and a mining permit valid until January 2040, according to records from the Congolese mining cadastre.
According to Africa Intelligence, KKM is owned 40% by Gécamines and 60% by Nkoyi Leopard Mining, which has ties to the Emirati firm International Resources Holding (IRH).
Chengtun highlighted the project's proximity to its existing industrial facilities in Lualaba, notably Chengtun Congo Mining (CCM S.A.), Chengtun Congo Ressources SARL (CCR), and Kalongwe Mining SA (KMSA). According to the company, the mine is located about 20 kilometers north of the CCR and CCM smelters and 51 kilometers southwest of the KMSA smelter. Its proximity to these facilities would facilitate ore transport and integration with the group's processing operations.
Chengtun said the proximity was one of the deal's main strategic advantages. The company is seeking to better integrate its mining and metallurgical assets in the Congolese Copperbelt, where it already operates processing facilities.
The announcement also states that, based on preliminary estimates from Chengtun's technical teams using available drilling data, the project has average grades of 1.66% copper and 0.67% cobalt. Chengtun added that the deposit exceeds the resource threshold under Chinese standards for large copper mines.
Timothée Manoke
Kamoto Copper Company SA (KCC), a subsidiary of Swiss mining group Glencore, is accelerating the integration of its logistics operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company announced the upcoming opening of a customs office and a one-stop shop directly at its Kolwezi mining site in Lualaba Province.
In a statement published on LinkedIn in mid-May 2026, KCC said the infrastructure is intended to centralize all public services involved in customs and export procedures at a single location. The company said the initiative is designed to streamline administrative procedures, reduce processing times and improve logistics flows linked to its mining operations.
“This initiative marks an important step forward in the simplification and modernization of our logistics processes,” the company said, adding that it aims to speed up truck clearance and improve coordination among stakeholders involved in import-export operations.
Streamlining exports
In the Congolese mining sector, which relies heavily on copper and cobalt exports, the speed of administrative procedures is a strategic issue. Customs delays, truck downtime and slow document processing can increase logistics costs, reduce equipment turnover and disrupt production schedules.
Locating customs services closer to mining sites is not new in the DRC. Several major operators already use customs-approved bonded warehouses or accelerated export clearance mechanisms.
The DRC’s mining procedures manual provides for coordination among several agencies — including the General Directorate of Customs and Excise (DGDA), the Congolese Control Office (OCC) and mining authorities — in export operations and the management of approved bonded warehouses.
KCC’s initiative comes as mining companies seek to improve supply chain efficiency while copper and cobalt production continues to rise in Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces.
A tense fiscal environment
The project also comes amid tighter fiscal and regulatory scrutiny in the Congolese extractive sector. In 2024, the General Directorate of Administrative, Judicial, State and Participation Revenue (DGRAD) launched a dispute involving about $895 million sought from local Glencore subsidiaries.
More recently, Africa Intelligence reported that the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) was seeking around $4.7 billion from KCC and Mutanda Mining (MUMI) through tax reassessments covering the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years. According to the publication, the DGI is seeking about $3 billion from KCC and $1.7 billion from MUMI.
Glencore has challenged the claims, describing them as “completely without foundation,” while the Congolese tax authority maintains that some subsidiaries of the group understated their taxable earnings.
In this context, the establishment of a one-stop shop and a customs office directly at KCC’s site may also be viewed as an effort to strengthen operational oversight and compliance in an environment of increasing regulatory controls.
Boaz Kabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo has revoked mining permits covering more than 12,000 square kilometers that were held by two companies, as part of an ongoing effort to clean up the country's mining registry.
According to a statement from the Mining Cadastre, known by its French acronym CAMI, relayed on May 14, 2026, by Agence congolaise de presse, the permits held by Acacia and Kwango Mines were revoked for failure to pay annual surface fees, in accordance with the Mining Code and related regulations.
The two companies jointly held 90 mining titles covering 15,029 permit blocks across the provinces of Kwango, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe, Kongo Central and Kasai. The total area affected reaches 12,767.5 square kilometers, larger than Kinshasa.
In detail, Kwango Mines held 47 titles covering 5,282.5 sq km, while Acacia held 43 titles spanning 7,485 sq km. The permits cover minerals including gold, diamonds and bauxite.
Together, the concessions form a broad mining corridor stretching from Kongo Central to Kasai, crossing several territories in Kwango province, including Kahemba, Popokabaka and Kasongo-Lunda.
The move is part of a broader campaign launched in 2023 by CAMI to recover inactive or non-compliant mining permits. The mining administration said it has reclaimed more than 50,000 sq km of mining areas over the past three years through reviews of permit validity, compliance with payment obligations and respect for development deadlines.
The stated objective is to recover permits held by operators deemed inactive or non-compliant and make them available for new mining investment.
Before revoking the permits, CAMI had already launched a warning procedure against the companies concerned. In a statement published on April 16, 2026, the institution said several annual surface fee payments for the 2026 fiscal year had not been recorded by its financial services as of April 10.
CAMI then granted the affected permit holders 45 days to provide proof of payment or face cancellation of their licenses. Kwango Mines was explicitly named among the companies concerned at the time.
The case also carries political sensitivity. Acacia and Kwango Mines have previously been cited in several investigations as companies linked to the family of former President Joseph Kabila.
In 2017, the Congo Research Group published an investigation into the business interests attributed to the Kabila family, citing links between certain mining companies and Jaynet Kabila, the former president's twin sister. Subsequent reporting by Deutsche Welle and other international media also associated Acacia and Kwango Mines with that network of economic interests.
At this stage, however, the documents reviewed do not clearly establish the current ownership structure of either company.
Boaz Kabeya
Zambia has authorized a limited resumption of sulfuric acid exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo, offering partial relief to Congolese copper and cobalt producers facing shortages of the critical processing input for several months.
Zambian Trade Minister Chipoka Mulenga told Reuters that Chambishi Copper Smelter and Mopani Copper Mines have been allowed to resume some deliveries to Congo after rebuilding stocks allocated to the domestic market.
Lusaka remains cautious, however. Zambia will cap export volumes to avoid renewed pressure on local supply. The government could broaden its authorizations if market conditions continue to improve.
Sulfuric acid is essential for processing oxidized copper and cobalt ores, particularly in Congo's Copperbelt. Zambia suspended exports in September 2025 before introducing export controls from March onward, worsening supply difficulties for several mining companies in Congo, the world's largest cobalt producer and second-largest copper producer.
DR Congo consumes roughly 2 million metric tons of sulfuric acid per year, some of which is supplied through imports from Zambia, which itself produces close to 2 million metric tons annually. According to Reuters, Zambia's restrictions had already forced some Congolese producers to reduce sulfuric acid consumption and consider output adjustments. Mopani is expected to supply Glencore, while Chambishi Copper Smelter would export to three Chinese mining companies operating in DR Congo.
Kamoa turns the shortage into a revenue source
The regional supply crunch is not affecting all miners equally. At Ivanhoe Mines, sulfuric acid shortages have instead become a strategic commercial advantage for the Kamoa-Kakula complex.
According to Ivanhoe Mines' quarterly report published on May 6, the Kamoa-Kakula smelter produced 117,871 metric tons of high-concentration sulfuric acid in the first quarter of 2026, of which 107,700 metric tons were sold to six customers at an average price of $467 per metric ton.
The company said a new delivery contract for June was signed at $725 per metric ton, while other contracts are due for renegotiation.
The surge in sulfuric acid prices is directly improving Kamoa-Kakula's margins. Revenue from acid sales already covers the smelter's operating costs. In the first quarter, those revenues represented approximately $705 per metric ton of copper produced, compared with estimated smelter operating costs of around $595 per metric ton.
Ivanhoe Mines co-chair Robert Friedland now describes sulfuric acid production as a strategic advantage for the project. He said Kamoa-Kakula could generate close to $1 million per day in operating credits from sulfuric acid sales, helping offset rising diesel and logistics costs.
That is positive news for shareholders in Kamoa Copper, the joint venture that operates the mine.
Zambia's easing therefore does not fully resolve the problem. While it may reduce pressure on some Congolese miners in the short term, it also highlights the sector's dependence on regional suppliers for strategic industrial inputs.
Against that backdrop, Kamoa-Kakula stands out because of its vertically integrated operations. Its smelter not only reduces the logistics costs associated with exporting concentrates, but also produces locally a key input that has become scarce and expensive across the Copperbelt.
Pierre Mukoko & Ronsard Luabeya