The Belgian development agency Enabel announced on June 17, 2025, that it has mobilized €2.7 million (around $3 million) to “sustainably improve” access to financing for entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The funding will support a 30-month program implemented in partnership with the Financial Inclusion Fund (FPM ASBL), a multi-donor fund that provides tailored technical assistance to financial institutions serving micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and low-income populations.

The initiative aims to develop long-term solutions for inclusive finance and to act as a catalyst for more equitable and participatory economic development. It will focus on strengthening the capacity of financial institutions to tailor their services to the specific needs of entrepreneurs. This includes a particular focus on youth, women, and high-potential SMEs.

In parallel, the program will offer training in business management and financial literacy. This training aims to help entrepreneurs qualify for formal financial services. The program also plans to enhance coordination among local entrepreneurial ecosystem players, with tighter monitoring of partnership initiatives. The program will target six provinces: Kinshasa, Haut-Katanga, Lualaba, Tshopo, Kasaï Oriental, and Sud-Ubangi.

Enabel already operates several initiatives in the DRC to support entrepreneurship. In Lubumbashi and Kolwezi, the Boost Camp program supports 20 SMEs through coaching and training. In Kinshasa, K-Impact assists 100 MSMEs, while Kin Emploi promotes youth employment. In Mbuji-Mayi, the Incubakor initiative backs young project leaders.

Belgium’s 2023 to 2027 bilateral cooperation program with the DRC amounts to €250 million. Enabel is also implementing donor-funded projects worth about €105 million, including funds from the European Union.

Ronsard Luabeya, stagiaire

Kinshasa’s long-awaited central market, known locally as Zando, is finally nearing completion. Governor Daniel Bumba announced during a site visit on June 21, 2025, that the market could reopen in just over three months. He made the visit alongside members of the Provincial Assembly bureau.

Bumba reported that construction work has reached 90% completion. The remaining tasks include finishing 5,000 market stalls and installing septic tanks and boreholes to guarantee the market’s autonomous water supply.

This announcement comes after rising pressure from traders who recently mobilized to demand the reopening of the market. Authorities closed Zando in January 2021 to launch modernization work, a decision that initially triggered widespread public protests.

The central market overhaul stems from a public-private partnership between the city of Kinshasa and French firm Sogema. Construction was outsourced to the Chinese company SZTC. The project is backed by a $44.5 million loan from Sofibanque.

Although initial plans scheduled completion for November 2023, several factors caused delays. Among them were a late project start and complications linked to the development of access roads.

Despite setbacks, the scale of the market remains impressive. Spread over 80,500 square meters, Zando is expected to house 80,000 stalls, 40 cold rooms, 270 toilets, and 22 units for commercial banks. These figures were released in 2024 by former governor Gentiny Ngobila. He also projected the market could create "over 500,000 jobs."

According to the Public Expenditure Observatory (Odep) and the Congolese League Against Corruption (Licoco), the operating contract grants Sogema control of the market for 25 years. They called this duration “arbitrarily fixed, without prior study on financial, economic profitability, or environmental impact.” In contrast, provincial authorities defend the deal. They point to the quality and durability of the infrastructure, which they estimate has a lifespan of 150 years.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke (Intern)

AVZ Minerals Limited has resumed its arbitration case against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the prized Manono lithium deposit, the Australian mining company announced in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

AVZ had announced on May 26 that it was temporarily suspending proceedings before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) until June 23. The company stated at the time that this pause aimed to foster "a climate conducive to discussions" in hopes of reaching an amicable resolution. However, that effort collapsed. AVZ now accuses the DRC of refusing to participate in any dialogue during the suspension window. "Despite AVZ’s best endeavors, the DRC did not engage with AVZ during the period of temporary suspension and that suspension has now lapsed,” the firm stated bluntly.

Congolese authorities have not commented on the situation as of yet. Their silence leaves open the question of why negotiations failed, especially since ICSID had confirmed the suspension was mutual and in line with both parties' agreement.

KoBold's Deal Loses Ground

This legal escalation directly threatens the January 21 offer made by American company KoBold Metals. Backed by investors including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, KoBold proposed to end the dispute by providing "appropriate compensation" to AVZ, in exchange for AVZ abandoning its claims on Manono in KoBold's favor. The offer initially appeared promising. On May 6, KoBold and AVZ signed a framework agreement, stating that AVZ would transfer its commercial interests in the Manono lithium deposit to KoBold at a fair market value.

However, the agreement carried a major condition: the DRC would need to either grant AVZ a mining permit or formally recognize its rights over the site. Kinshasa has refused to meet that condition, putting the entire KoBold offer on unstable ground. As a result, AVZ saw no alternative but to restart its legal offensive. The company initially brought the case to ICSID in June 2023, and the latest move signals its determination to press ahead.

At the heart of the conflict lies exploration permit PR 13359. AVZ claims legal rights over this portion of the lithium deposit. However, Congolese courts awarded 100% control of the permit to state-owned Cominière, reversing an earlier arrangement where AVZ had co-managed the license through a joint venture with the public enterprise.

American Sponsor's Influence and Geopolitical Stakes

Following that ruling, Cominière formed a new partnership with Chinese conglomerate Zijin Mining, creating Manono Lithium SAS. This joint venture, 61% owned by Zijin (via its subsidiary Jinxiang Lithium) and 39% by Cominière, has obtained an exploitation permit for the northeastern part of the deposit and plans to begin lithium production in the first quarter of 2026.

Parallel to its ICSID case, AVZ is also suing its former partner Cominière before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. This legal battle has already yielded results, with the tribunal ruling in AVZ’s favor and ordering Cominière to pay 39.1 million euros in penalties for non-compliance with prior court orders.

According to AVZ, the temporary pause in arbitration followed a call from the U.S. government, which encouraged both parties to take steps to foster a climate conducive to discussions. This legal and corporate drama unfolds against a backdrop of complex geopolitics. Washington is concurrently negotiating a "minerals for security" agreement with the DRC. Under this proposed deal, the U.S. would offer military and strategic assistance to help stabilize Congo’s eastern provinces. In return, the DRC would grant preferential access to U.S. companies operating in the mining sector.

At the same time, American and Congolese officials are working on a broader peace accord involving the DRC and Rwanda. The signing of both agreements is announced for the end of the month. The DRC’s stance in the AVZ-KoBold case, and its continued silence, raises new questions.

This article was initially published in French by Pierre Mukoko

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has extended its suspension of cobalt exports for another three months as part of efforts to stabilize the market. The decision was announced by the Regulatory Authority for Strategic Mineral Markets (Arecoms) in an official statement dated June 21, 2025.

The export ban, which first took effect on February 22, applies to all cobalt produced nationwide. This includes cobalt from industrial, semi-industrial, artisanal, and small-scale mining operations.

Arecoms stated that the decision is driven by persistently high stock levels in the market. Cobalt prices have also shown signs of weakness in recent weeks, falling from $33,700 per ton on June 2 to $33,250 by market close on June 20.

After the initial announcement of the export ban in February, cobalt prices jumped nearly 60 %, stabilizing around $33,700 per ton in April. Despite the recovery, prices remain well below the market peak of $82,000 per ton seen in 2022.

Arecoms noted that the suspension could be extended, adjusted, or lifted at any time, though no specific price target has been set. What is known is that the Congolese government based its 2025 national budget on an average cobalt price of $28,000 per ton, a forecast that remains uncertain given current market conditions.

The government has already signaled its desire to tighten control over cobalt exports. During the Council of Ministers meeting on March 14, 2025, officials expressed plans to introduce export quotas and encourage more local processing of raw materials.

These plans started to take shape on March 26 with the groundbreaking of the Musompo Special Economic Zone. The site is dedicated to producing battery precursors, fully assembled batteries, and potentially electric vehicles using Congolese raw materials.

Upcoming policy decisions could also be shaped by the strategies of major cobalt producers operating in DR Congo. During the Cobalt Congress held in Singapore this May, companies voiced opposing views on the export ban. Chinese mining giant CMOC pushed for the embargo to be lifted quickly, while some traders linked to Swiss-based Glencore argued that Congolese cobalt should only return to the global market once price stability is restored.