Congo to roll out $100M US-backed mine security force
The Democratic Republic of Congo will deploy a $100 million paramilitary unit funded by the United States and United Arab Emirates to secure its mining sector and curb smuggling.
The General Inspectorate of Mines said it will recruit and train up to 3,000 armed “mining guards” by December 2026, with a longer-term goal of more than 20,000 personnel nationwide by 2028, Reuters reports.
The unit will take over duties now handled by defence forces, including securing mine sites, escorting mineral shipments from extraction areas to processing facilities and border posts, and protecting investments.
The move comes as the world’s top cobalt producer and second-largest copper supplier grapples with persistent insecurity and illicit trade, particularly in its mineral-rich eastern regions.
Fighting linked to a Rwanda-backed rebellion has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands, underscoring risks to supply chains that also include lithium, coltan, gold, tantalum and tin.
Officials said the first contingent will become operational after recruitment and about six months of training conducted in collaboration with the military. The agency did not disclose whether the US and Emirati funding comes from government or private sources.
The initiative reflects Kinshasa’s push to stabilize its mining sector and attract foreign investment while aligning with Western efforts to diversify critical mineral supply chains away from China.
