Glencore joins US critical minerals reserve in $500m EXIM deal
THE US government has selected Glencore to help it build a strategic reserve of critical minerals in a development that deepens the Swiss miner’s relationship with Washington.…
Congo plans one-stop mining investment agency
THE Democratic Republic of Congo is setting up a centralised agency to fast-track major mining investments, said Reuters citing sources. The agency is part of reforms tied to its…
Illegal miners return to Eurasian Resources’ Congo cobalt site
ILLEGAL miners backed by armed men have again occupied part of a major cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bloomberg reported. Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) said…
Congo tightens grip on geological data
THE Democratic Republic of Congo plans to tighten state control over geological data used by mining companies, Reuters reported. The move could give the country greater sway over…
What resource nationalism means for Africa’s miners
Governments across Africa are seeking to assert greater control over their mineral wealth by rewriting mining codes, demanding larger equity stakes or greater local…
SFO settles decade-long ENRC fraud probe suit
BRITAIN’S Serious Fraud Office has reached a settlement with Kazakh miner ENRC, closing a lawsuit accusing the agency and law firm Dechert of inflicting substantial financial…
India, Zambia restart critical minerals talks
India has resumed talks with Zambia over potential investments in copper and other critical minerals as it looks overseas to secure raw materials for its growing economy, Reuters…
Congo copper corridor set for $1bn US boost
MOTA-Engil is set to sign a 30-year concession to rehabilitate and operate a key copper and cobalt railway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Bloomberg. The…
Congo flood puts Zijin’s copper goal at risk
ZIJIN Mining Group said flooding at its Kamoa-Kakula mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo is putting its full-year copper production target under pressure, Bloomberg…
Metals of war: why US Govt has weaponised mining
Eighteen mining companies went public in the past 12 months with one aim in common: an ambition to supply the US government’s defence industry. Assisted by US President Donald…
Congo probes uranium in cobalt exports
THE Democratic Republic of Congo has opened an investigation into uranium contamination found in cobalt shipments amid mounting pressure over the amount of the radioactive…
Congo bans copper, cobalt concentrate exports – report
THE Democratic Republic of Congo has banned exports of copper and cobalt concentrate, marking a major escalation of its push to force domestic processing, said Reuters in an…
China may be pulling back from mining M&A
CHINA’S largest metals groups have spent nearly two decades as some of the mining industry’s most aggressive dealmakers, ploughing billions of dollars into assets from the…
Congo cobalt exporters face R1.1bn losses from glitch
LEADING cobalt producers operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo could forfeit portions of their first-half export allowances after a technical fault hit a customs…
AI minerals drive plans for Congo’s first stock exchange
THE Democratic Republic of Congo is developing plans for its first stock exchange, with the Kinshasa bourse potentially operational as early as next year, said Bloomberg News.…
Congo to claw back unused cobalt quotas
COBALT producers in the Democratic Republic of Congo must forfeit export quotas left unused from the first half of this year, said Bloomberg News citing the country’s regulator…
US sanctions Rwanda refinery over Congo gold
THE US has sanctioned a Kigali-based gold refinery because it was allegedly processing minerals smuggled from the Democratic Republic of Congo by M23 – a rebel group said to be…
DRC plans 20,000-strong private mining guard force
THE Democratic Republic of Congo is negotiating with an unnamed private company to train more than 20,000 armed guards to protect its mines, in a bid to improve the industry’s…
Zimbabwe to use minerals deals with China for infrastructure
ZIMBABWE is in talks with China Railway over resource-backed financing to fund road and rail construction, as the southern African nation seeks to address an estimated $34bn…
Lobito rail resumes copper runs from Congo
LOBITO Atlantic Railway has received its first copper shipment from the Democratic Republic of Congo since restoring a flood-damaged section of track, resuming traffic on a…