News (659)
- Emir Sheikh Tamim’s visit leads to one agreement and five MoUs with the DRC
- Cooperation spans ports, justice, youth, sports, and a social project in South Kivu
- Qatar’s growing footprint includes major investment intentions and involvement in peace efforts
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, made an official half-day visit to Kinshasa on November 21, 2025. He was received at N’djili International Airport by President Félix Tshisekedi. The two leaders held a private meeting, the content of which has not yet been disclosed, before witnessing the signing of one agreement and five memorandums of understanding, underscoring their ambition to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The agreement provides for visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and special passports in both countries. The five memorandums express each party’s intention to cooperate in economic, legal, diplomatic, social, and sports-related areas.
One memorandum concerns port cooperation between Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) and the National Transport Office (ONATRA SA) for the development and management of Congolese port infrastructure. Two others open the way for closer ties between the two countries’ justice ministries and for cooperation in youth and sports.
The Qatar Fund for Development and the Congolese Ministry of Social Affairs also signed a memorandum to support a multisector emergency project in the South Kivu province. Another document establishes regular political consultations on issues of mutual interest.
On September 2, 2025, Kinshasa hosted the Emir’s cousin, Sheikh Al-Mansour Bin Jabor Bin Jassim Al Thani, head of Al Mansour Holding. During that visit, 18 memorandums of understanding were signed between the Qatari private conglomerate and the DRC. These investment intentions, totaling 21 billion $, cover fifteen sectors, including mining, infrastructure, health, agriculture, and hydrocarbons.
Between Kinshasa and Kigali
For now, cooperation between the DRC and Qatar remains at the stage of intentions for most of the announced projects. However, the scale of these commitments reflects Doha’s ambitions in the country. This interest is also visible in Qatar Airways’ decision, in June 2024, to add Kinshasa to its list of destinations.
It is also known that Ivanhoe Mines announced on September 17, 2025, that it had reached an agreement enabling the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, to join its shareholding. In the DRC, Ivanhoe Mines holds 39.6% of Kamoa-Kakula, the country’s largest copper mine, and 62% of the Kipushi zinc mine, recently restarted and poised to enter the global top four. The company is the operator of both strategic sites.
Qatar is also involved in peace efforts in eastern DRC due to its close relations with Rwanda, which supports the AFC/M23 rebels. On the eve of his visit to Kinshasa, the Emir was in Kigali. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President Paul Kagame discussed the strengthening of their bilateral relations.
According to Rwandan authorities, trade between Rwanda and Qatar has grown by more than 30% in five years. Doha has also invested in Kigali’s new airport and in the national airline RwandAir.
Heineken announced that it transferred its Bukavu brewery to Mauritian company Synergy Ventures Holdings Ltd for a symbolic 1 €, after losing operational control of its facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The loss of control is linked to the occupation of the Goma and Bukavu sites by armed groups since June 12, in a context marked by the advance of the M23 in North and South Kivu. (Reuters / Madis Invest)
According to the announcement relayed by Reuters on November 19, 2025, the sale was motivated by humanitarian concerns: preserving jobs and livelihoods, maintaining essential community services, and preventing any misuse of the facilities in an unstable security environment.
It remains unclear how Synergy Ventures plans to restart operations at the Bukavu brewery. The announcement states that the company will assume all responsibilities related to operating the site, including production activities, staff management, and tax obligations. Heineken, for its part, retains a three-year buyback option should security conditions allow a return.
The outlook remains uncertain. Despite the signing on November 15, 2025, in Doha (Qatar), of a Framework Agreement for comprehensive peace in eastern DRC between the Congolese government and AFC/M23 rebels, fighting continues on the ground.
As early as March, Bralima suspended operations in Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira due to raids and looting targeting its warehouses. The rapid deterioration of the situation led to the full evacuation of remaining staff in these three cities on June 20, affecting about one thousand direct and indirect jobs.
These facilities represented a major asset for the group’s Congolese subsidiary. According to internal Bralima data, Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira accounted for nearly one-third of its revenue in the DRC, where Heineken operates five breweries established since the 1920s.
- Nearly 180 trucks from Kisangani remain immobilized on the Makana–Mengwe section of RN3.
- Local markets in Walikale report rising prices and declining stocks of essential goods.
- Transporters urge provincial and national authorities to launch emergency rehabilitation works.
The Walikale territory in North Kivu faces a growing risk of supply shortages in essential goods. The advanced degradation of National Road No. 3 (RN3), which links the region to Maniema, has disrupted the circulation of goods for nearly a month.
Local sources report that almost 180 trucks from Kisangani remain immobilized on the Makana–Mengwe section, located on the border between Walikale (North Kivu) and Lubutu (Maniema). Heavy rains have turned several portions of the road into deep mud, which makes vehicle passage nearly impossible.
The Association des Chauffeurs du Congo (ACCO), quoted by Actualité.cd, states that 120 vehicles remain blocked between Makana and Makote in Walikale territory. ACCO adds that 80 additional trucks remain bogged down between Losso and Mengwe on the Maniema side.
This situation significantly slows traffic along a corridor that remains essential for supplying remote areas of North Kivu.
The disruption already affects several consumption centers, including Makana, Biruwe, Logu, Ndjingala, Mubi and central Walikale. Local traders report rising prices for basic commodities and gradually declining inventory levels due to irregular resupply. Some imported products from Kisangani have begun to disappear from local markets.
In response to the prolonged paralysis, transporters call on provincial and national authorities to launch urgent rehabilitation works on the affected road segments. They argue that a rapid intervention would restore traffic and prevent a broader supply crisis in the region.
This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
On November 19, Rome Resources announced its plan to raise £1.9 million ($2.4 million) through a share placement. The funds, still subject to regulatory conditions, will be used to finance a new drilling program at the Bisie North tin project the British company is exploring in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rome Resources says the campaign aims to test priority targets on the site, especially the deeper zones of the Kalayi and Mont Agoma deposits. The company estimates that the work has a discovery potential of between 53,000 and 144,000 tons of mineral resources. This target could increase the 10,600 tons of inferred resources declared last month at Bisie North.
“The board is highly encouraged by the technical foundations laid by the recent maiden mineral resource estimate, which clearly highlights the high-grade potential at both Kalayi and Mont Agoma. We are now looking forward immensely to testing the high grade tin potential of Kalayi deep, a key upside indicated by the recent maiden mineral resource estimate,” said Paul Barrett, CEO of Rome Resources.
Pending the financing, the company expects to start drilling in “approximately two weeks.” The work should continue for 3 to 4 months. Meeting these goals could further position Bisie North as a potential contributor to Congolese tin output, which was 99 % supported in 2024 by Alphamin Resources’ Bisie mine.
Aurel Sèdjro Houenou, Ecofin Agency
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has received its first shipment of Chinese-made construction equipment under a major road partnership with South African group Guma.
Infrastructure and Public Works Minister John Banza Lunda oversaw the arrival of 200 units of civil engineering machinery from China on November 14, according to an official statement. The shipment included dump trucks, bulldozers and various utility vehicles.
The equipment is the first batch of a 5,600-unit order tied to a partnership announced by the Prime Minister’s Office in February 2024 at the Mining Indaba forum in South Africa. At the time, the government said it had reached an agreement with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Guma Africa to support an extensive road development program.
The contract covers a planned network of 180,000 kilometers of roads, valued at 450 million dollars. The financing is intended to support equipment purchases, road rehabilitation and maintenance by the Ministry of Infrastructure, and training for operators and technicians within the Roadways and Drainage Authority (OVD) and the Road Office (OR).
Financing and Delays
Although the project was initially expected to roll out over three years, the Ministry of Infrastructure said the contract was not formally signed until August 29, 2025.
The financing structure remains unclear. The Ministry only specified that the project is being “financed without a sovereign guarantee.” The arrangement appears to follow a leasing model in which DBSA acts as the financier, Guma supplies the machinery and the Congolese state leases the equipment. The government would use the machines for road works and repay the cost through lease fees, with ownership passing to the state once the full amount is covered.
Technical details for the planned roads have not yet been released, but the announced budget indicates that the work will mainly involve dirt roads.
In February 2024, the Prime Minister’s Office described the program as a major boost to the Local Development Program for 145 Territories (PDL-145T). The second phase of the PDL-145T, launched in the third quarter of 2022, covers the rehabilitation of more than 38,000 kilometers of rural access roads and related infrastructure, at a cost of 1.25 billion dollars. How the two road programs will be coordinated is still unclear.
During his visit to the DRC on August 29, Guma Group CEO Robert Gumede said the project “will transform the lives of Congolese people by reducing transport costs and stimulating agriculture and industry.” He added that the main objective is to improve links between urban and rural areas to support mobility and strengthen regional integration.
Pierre Mukoko & Timothée Manoke
Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC), a subsidiary of state-owned Gécamines, presented 1,000 tons of artisanally mined cobalt on November 13, 2025, describing the material as “structured, ethical and traceable.”
The event, titled “1,000 Tons of Future,” aimed to demonstrate to markets and investors that artisanal cobalt can meet international expectations on transparency, profitability, and ESG compliance.
EGC General Director Eric Kalala said the company hopes to attract investment that will help build a competitive, nationally controlled artisanal mining industry.
An Informal Sector with Heavy Reliance
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds about 72 percent of global cobalt reserves and supplies more than 74 percent of world production. EGC estimates that a significant share of this output comes from artisanal mining, a sector that employs between 1.5 million and 2 million people and supports more than 10 million others.
Despite its economic importance, the sector operates largely outside formal structures. It is marked by non-transparent buying practices, low prices, unsafe working conditions and the dominance of unregulated intermediaries. These problems prompted the U.S. Labor Department to add Congolese cobalt to its 2024 list of goods suspected of being produced with child labor.
Created in 2019, EGC is mandated to organize, purchase and market artisanal cobalt while improving traceability, compliance and fair pay. The company also aims to increase local value addition through small-scale processing, strengthen cooperatives and offer miners more predictable incomes.
Push for Transparency
To carry out its mission and secure financing, EGC says it has developed a model designed to bring the artisanal segment up to international standards.
“The company is deploying controlled mining zones with weighing stations, direct-payment systems and digital tracking tools to ensure every ton is traceable from the mining site to processing,” EGC said.
However, EGC did not disclose where the 1,000 tons presented in Kolwezi were mined. The lack of clarity is significant for industrial buyers, who frequently accuse artisanal miners of entering their concessions illegally. Such incursions regularly spark disputes and, according to the Federation of Congolese Enterprises, have caused nearly 3 billion dollars in losses for one mining company.
Government Response
In response, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi announced several measures during the 47th Council of Ministers in Kolwezi on June 13, 2025. These include quickly designating legal artisanal mining zones and opening discussions with mining companies, including Gécamines, to release specific land parcels.
Gécamines had already made five pilot sites available to EGC around Kolwezi in February 2024. The sites were intended to support a roadmap to gradually formalize the artisanal cobalt sector. An exploration program began soon after, and EGC announced in September 2024 that targeted drilling would start on one of the locations. Results have not yet been published.
Pierre Mukoko & Ronsard Luabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Industrial Promotion Fund (FPI) is seeking partnerships with three major Singaporean economic bodies: the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG).
FPI Director-General Hervé Claude Ntumba Batukonke met officials from the three institutions during an economic mission to Singapore from November 1 to 8, 2025. The visit was held at the invitation of Embed Financial Group Holdings (EFGH Singapore).
According to an FPI statement, talks with SCE—which develops government-to-government partnerships and capacity-building initiatives—focused on industrial policy, digitalization and skills development. SCE expressed support for reforms underway in the DRC in these areas.
Discussions with the EDB, the agency responsible for attracting investment in sectors such as technology, finance, industry and biotechnology, highlighted opportunities to draw investors into Congolese industrial projects.
FPI also met with Enterprise Singapore, which sees the DRC as a potential partner for future industrial projects. ESG supports the international expansion of Singaporean companies and says it has nearly $20 billion in committed investments across African projects. The agency provides financing, technical support and training for small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to Ntumba, the meetings highlighted the DRC’s economic strengths and presented new investment opportunities in industry. Following the mission, FPI and the Singaporean agencies agreed on several next steps. These include formalizing a bilateral cooperation framework, preparing FPI’s participation in the 2027 International Conference with a list of priority projects, and establishing a mechanism to monitor the progress of investment commitments.
Ronsard Luabeya
Abu Dhabi Ports, the Emirati state-owned company, is considering investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Matadi and Boma ports. The potential projects were discussed during a meeting between President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi and Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan on November 16, 2025.
No details were disclosed on the scale of Abu Dhabi Ports’ plans. According to the Congolese Presidency, the port initiatives fall within a wider infrastructure program that includes the Lobito Corridor, two dry ports, and road links from Kolwezi to Dilolo, as well as connections between the DRC, Angola, and Zambia.
The initiative aims to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. The Presidency said talks also covered the mining sector, the exchange of financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and cooperation between the two central banks. Both sides discussed completing a long-delayed free trade agreement and organizing an economic forum to attract investment.
Between 2021 and 2023, Congolese exports to the UAE averaged $1.059 billion per year, compared with $1.89 billion in imports, leaving an average annual trade deficit of $650 million. Exports are dominated by mining products such as refined copper, gold, and diamonds.
Trade could increase following the acquisition by Emirati conglomerate IRH/IHC of a 56% stake in Alphamin Resources, the owner of the Bisie tin mine, which strengthens the UAE’s presence in the DRC’s mining sector.
Two other Emirati companies, Lone Star Ltd and Business Gate, have also expressed interest in energy projects in Tshopo Province, particularly in renewable energy.
Boaz Kabeya
- UBA will appoint a Congolese national as CEO of UBA DRC and add nine Congolese board members.
- The bank plans to expand from 3 to 21 branches by 2028 and target USD 1.8 billion in deposits.
- UBA DRC grew net profit 388% in 2024, reaching 21 billion naira.
United Bank for Africa Chairman Tony Elumelu announced a sweeping localisation plan for UBA Democratic Republic of Congo after meeting President Félix Tshisekedi on November 16, 2025. Elumelu outlined the changes during a visit to Kinshasa, according to a summary posted by the presidency on X.
The presidency stated that UBA DRC will appoint a Congolese national to lead the subsidiary. It added that nine Congolese members will join the board as part of a strategy to progressively “Congolize” the management structure. The subsidiary is currently led by Nigerian national Sampson Aneke, who is supported by Deputy Managing Director Gisèle Bondo, appointed in February 2024.
Elumelu said the bank plans to extend its branch network into several provinces across the country. “We believe in the potential of the DRC, especially its youth. The opening of new branches will help create jobs,” he said.
UBA has operated in the DRC since 2011. The bank currently maintains branches in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Matadi. The group detailed in its 2024 Pillar Report that its 2024–2028 strategic plan targets a major expansion—growing from three to 21 branches by 2028 and increasing its ATM network. The subsidiary also aims to reach a deposit base of $1.8 billion over the same period.
UBA DRC significantly increased its contribution to group results in 2024. The bank reported a net profit of 21 billion naira, compared with 4.3 billion naira in 2023. This performance marks a 388% year-on-year increase, according to documents reviewed by Bankable. The results mainly reflect growth in operating income, which rose from 4.3 billion to 22.8 billion naira.
Elumelu said the group also plans to expand its involvement in infrastructure financing in the DRC. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting local entrepreneurship. Since the launch of the foundation’s programme, 350 young Congolese entrepreneurs have received financial support.
This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a new campaign to collect illegally held weapons and ammunition. The move comes as the region, which remains under a state of siege, faces persistent insecurity.
The provincial government said in a statement issued on November 12 that military governor Major-General Evariste Kakule Somo signed an order on October 29 authorizing the operation.
The order offers cash rewards to anyone who voluntarily hands in weapons: 100 dollars for an AK-47 or similar rifle, 200 dollars for a support weapon, and 1 dollar per round of ammunition. It also guarantees anonymity and immunity from prosecution for participants.
A commission that includes the Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization Program (PDDRCS) has been set up to oversee the campaign. The provincial government said the effort is funded by the central government with possible support from technical and financial partners and individual donors.
The initiative follows a rise in violent crime in Beni and Butembo, where banks, homes and businesses have been repeatedly targeted by armed groups. Civil society groups have urged authorities to tighten controls on the movement of weapons in the province.
Similar programs have been carried out in the past. Between 2008 and 2011, the NGO Peace and Reconciliation (PAREC) ran a weapons-collection campaign across several provinces after waves of violence. In North Kivu, PAREC sought to collect 30,000 weapons and had recovered about 9,347 by October 2010, according to local media. By July 2011, it had handed over more than 7,545 weapons and 54 tons of ammunition to military experts. In Kinshasa, more than 11,000 illegally held weapons were recovered in 2009, Le Figaro reported.
Timothée Manoke
More...
Security officers at Bipemba Airport in Mbujimayi, Democratic Republic of Congo, seized 13 kilograms of diamonds on November 11, 2025, after discovering the cargo had not been declared for transport to Kinshasa.
Provincial anti-fraud services and the Provincial Mining Division said the stones were not listed on any official paperwork and had not been reported to the authorities, in breach of national traceability rules.
The diamonds were brought to interim provincial governor Daniel Kazadi Cilumbayi, who called a security meeting with all agencies active at the airport, including the police, the National Intelligence Agency, the Mining Division, and anti-fraud units. The meeting focused on determining how the attempted smuggling occurred and improving coordination among security services.
Kazadi praised the officers involved and said the provincial government remained committed to tackling mineral trafficking. “There will be no tolerance for such practices. The law must be strictly applied,” he said, adding that smuggling undermines supply-chain transparency and deprives the province of revenue.
The governor instructed security and mining authorities to strengthen checks at all exit points in the province and urged closer cooperation among the institutions responsible for anti-fraud work.
The seized diamonds were transferred to the Centre for Expertise, Evaluation and Certification (CEEC) and the Provincial Mining Division for technical analysis and valuation, the governor’s office said. With no claimant for the cargo, an investigation has been opened to identify those responsible.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said on Tuesday, Nov. 11, that it had initiated Federal Court proceedings against AVZ Minerals, the mining company that claimed mining rights over the Manono lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The regulator alleges that the company and two of its directors failed to meet their disclosure obligations to investors concerning the legal dispute surrounding the project. AVZ was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) until trading was suspended in May 2022. It was delisted in May 2024.
Through its subsidiary Dathcom Mining, AVZ held a 75 percent stake in a licence covering part of the Manono site, which is widely regarded as the DRC’s largest lithium deposit, but it never secured the mining rights. In October 2023, joint-venture partner Cominière, a state-owned company, announced that it had signed an agreement to operate part of the deposit with China’s Zijin Mining Group. AVZ is contesting these developments and has launched several international legal proceedings to defend its claims.
ASIC alleges that the company failed to disclose information about the dispute for nearly a year. Managing Director Nigel Ferguson and Technical Director Graeme Johnston are also accused of breaching their duties as directors by allowing the publication of “false or misleading” announcements to the ASX.
“It was all but impossible for retail investors to travel to an overseas location in central Africa where the company’s operations were being conducted. In those circumstances, investors rely on the company to provide accurate and timely information. We allege Mr Ferguson and Mr Johnston failed to inform investors of the ongoing issues in this case for nearly 12 months,” ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said.
AVZ and its directors “strongly denied all allegations of wrongdoing” in a statement issued shortly afterward, saying they will vigorously defend themselves in court.
Emiliano Tossou
The population of Lubumbashi has expressed concern about water quality after pollution was reported in several neighborhoods following an acid effluent spill from the mining company Congo Dongfang Mining (CDM). REGIDESO has issued assurances about the safety of the water it supplies to its customers.
In a media statement, David Angoyo Rutia, regional director of REGIDESO Grand Katanga, said the company’s water intake points remain intact and that tests carried out after the incident showed no contamination.
He explained that, as soon as the industrial accident was reported, REGIDESO deployed teams to various intake sites to conduct sampling and quality checks. “There is no need for fear… Our sources are intact,” he said.
However, the official noted that, as a precaution, about 1,200 meters of piping supplying the Kamatete neighborhood in the Annexe commune — the area directly affected by the incident — were temporarily isolated.
David Angoyo Rutia also stressed that this assurance applies only to water supplied by REGIDESO to its customers, and not to other sources used by part of the population, including shallow boreholes and domestic wells.
This clarification renewed some concerns. Local media have pointed out “the absence of REGIDESO in several parts of the city,” which forces many residents to rely on boreholes or wells for daily consumption. Among these neighborhoods is Kasapa, in the Annexe commune, where the incident occurred.
A suspected case of food poisoning was also reported in the Camp Scout neighborhood, still in the Annexe commune. According to the child’s mother, the meal was prepared with water from a well. She said she noticed the food had an acidic taste.
On November 3, 2025, acidic water from CDM’s retention basin flowed into several surrounding neighborhoods. Residents reported skin irritation after contact with the water, and domestic animals that drank it died. Images shared on social media also showed dead fish floating in streams affected by the polluted effluents.
The Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE) issued on October 24, 2025, a compliant opinion to Sattel International for obtaining an independent power generation license for a 6 MWc solar photovoltaic plant with storage in the territory of Luozi, in Kongo Central province.
According to the company, this infrastructure will supply electricity to more than 7,500 households, reduce CO₂ emissions by over 23,000 tons a year, and stimulate local economic activity. The project also aims to improve access to education and health services in the region. However, it is uncertain whether the initial schedule, which expected the plant to be commissioned before the end of 2025, can be met.
Specialized in sustainable electrification and hybrid solar solutions for more than 25 years, Sattel International, through its subsidiary Sattel Energy, designs, finances, installs, and operates energy solutions adapted to the needs of financial institutions, companies, public administrations, and rural communities.
Its business model combines energy leasing, direct sales, and operation and maintenance services, supported by an energy management system (EMS) that allows real-time monitoring and optimized consumption.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the company says it has completed around thirty projects totaling 7.5 MWc installed. Its main achievements include solar electrification for banks — notably Equity BCDC in Kinshasa and several provinces — high-end private residences (in Gombe, Mont-Fleury, Binza, and Kintambo), as well as agricultural, industrial, and public lighting sites in Boende. Present in the DRC and the Republic of Congo, Sattel International plans to expand its activities to three more African countries by 2026.