The Democratic Republic of Congo has unveiled plans to establish a new paramilitary force aimed at strengthening security across its mining sector, a key driver of the country’s economy due to its vast mineral wealth.
The central African nation is one of the world’s leading producers of cobalt—accounting for about 70 percent of global supply, a critical component in electric batteries and defence technology.
It also possesses significant reserves of copper, coltan, and lithium, making its mining industry highly strategic and heavily contested.
While Chinese companies maintain a strong presence in the sector, firms from the United States and other countries also operate within the country.
On Monday, the General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM), the state agency responsible for regulating and combating fraud in the mining industry, announced the creation of a new security outfit named “the mining guard”.
According to the agency, it will serve as a “paramilitary special unit intended to secure the entire mineral exploitation chain” in the DRC.
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The initiative is expected to be funded with about $100 million and is linked to what authorities described as “strategic partnerships” with the United States and the United Arab Emirates, although no further details were provided regarding the financing arrangements.
The development comes months after the DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement in December aimed at easing long-standing conflict in eastern Congo, a region that has suffered prolonged instability, particularly following the rise of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.
The agreement also contains an economic dimension intended to guarantee access to strategic minerals for American high-tech industries.
The IGM said the new force will be tasked with securing mining sites as well as the transportation of extracted minerals.
“By the end of 2028, a gradual deployment is planned of a workforce of more than 20,000 guards covering the 22 mining provinces under IGM supervision,” the body said.
It added that recruits will undergo six months of training, with the first batch expected to be deployed in December this year.