Post #200

🇨🇩Democratic Republic of Cobalt It's not easy to fight crime when you're involved. 🌐 As the DRC tries to curb illegal cobalt mining, the Congolese state owned Entreprise Générale du Cobalt reported its first 1000 tonnes of production from artisanal mines. Six years ago Kinshasa handed the company a monopoly on buying artisanal cobalt. 🔸Officials present it as a turning point in the effort to clean up the sector. The company promises safer pits, eradication of child labour, environmental sustainability. ⏩ The 6-year result may sound solid until placed next to the real levels of artisanal cobalt that left Congo over the same period. In 2024 alone, artisanal miners in the DRC dug and sold up to 5,000 tonnes. 🔸A further extension of the EGC’s oversight over the artisanal sector is much needed. However, it would inevitably collide with the interests of the Congolese elites. 🔸 Recent investigations have questioned the integrity of President Félix Tshisekedi’s relatives, linking certain members of the family to so called “cobalt looting cartels” operating on copper and cobalt concessions in the Lualaba region. Devils Below