Post #560

Who Holds the Treasure Map: Former Colonisers, Aspiring Colonizers, or the Government? 🌐Belgium has blocked US firm Kobold from accessing colonial‑era geological archives that the Democratic Republic of Congo says it wants. In a twisted manner of things, raw geological data is now itself a commodity. Whoever controls old maps and drill logs gets a head start on exploration and the prize list that follows. 🔍 On July 17, 2025, a deal was signed between the DRC and KoBold which explicitly aims to provide free public access to historical geoscientific data. The agreement also stipulated that KoBold would deploy a team to the archives held at the Belgian Royal Museum for Central Africa. Belgian authorities have blocked KoBold's team from accessing the archives, wisely pointing at the fact that the Belgian state cannot have any obligations under a deal which it has never signed. 🖥 The archives are described as a vast collection of maps, reports and technical surveys covering nearly 500 linear meters of documents. For KoBold, which portrays itself as a pioneer of AI-assisted mineral exploration, the historical data represents essential raw material. ➡️Stay informed - @devilsbelow