The Republic Democratic Congo (DRC) has decided to suspend the artisanal processing of copper and cobalt in order to increase transparency in the mining sector and to fight against illegal exports, according to a decree consulted by Reuters. This measure takes place in a country that provides nearly 70% of the world production of cobalt, but which for decades has faced a largely informal artisanal exploitation, depriving the State of revenue important.

Dated December 19 and signed by the Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, the decree orders all entities involved in the processing and marketing of copper and cobalt from artisanal mining to suspend their activities. It also requires them to certify the origin of the minerals used, in a context of strengthening traceability requirements.

The text provides for by elsewhere the establishment of a commission responsible for monitoring compliance with new rules and to verify the legality of supplies. According to a source at the presidency, this suspension should make it possible “to identify the flow and the volume of minerals processed by the processing units.” The impact However, the precise nature of this decision on illegal exports remains. difficult to assess due to the lack of official data available.

Organizations of the civil society, like LICOCO, have long denounced practices of corruption in the sector, claiming that some entities operating illegally obtain their permits by paying bribes. In November, the authorities had already launched the first batch of traceable artisanal cobalt, in order to clean up the supply chain and comply with international environmental, social and governance standards.

If artisanal exploitation is a means of subsistence for between 1.5 to 2 million Congolese and indirect support more than 10 million people, its unregulated production remains difficult to trace. It exposes actors to risks of confiscation and contributes to increase the price of ethically produced and traceable cobalt on international markets.