Democratic Republic of Congo is often portrayed as a victim of exploitation by China, the US and Europe in their competition for its minerals, which are critical for the energy transition., reveals how governments that are often viewed as peripheral, such as the DRC, can influence and sometimes define global industries.
Our findings were based on months of fieldwork in the artisanal and industrial cobalt mines of the DRC and on China’s infrastructure developments. We also examined local media and government documents to review legal and administrative decisions. , both private and state owned, control vast cobalt deposits in the DRC, our research concluded that the DRC can exert significant influence over the wider industry.from the largest Chinese-owned cobalt mine in 2022 over financial disputes, it temporarily halted about 10% of global cobalt production.
The government has also been able to use its influence over minerals by pushing for better terms in mining contracts and more domestic processing of minerals. In 2018, for instance, it declared cobalt a “However, despite the influence the DRC can exert over the sector, those that should be benefiting from the lucrative cobalt industry, like the miners, aren’t.