By: Reuters

Democratic Republic of Congo’s mines inspectorate said on Monday it had created a paramilitary mining guard to secure mining sites and mineral supply chains, as the world’s top cobalt producer tries to curb smuggling and insecurity in the sector and boost investor confidence.

The programme will be funded by a $100 million budget under strategic partnerships with the United States and the United Arab Emirates, the General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM) said in a statement.

Congo, the world’s second‑largest copper supplier with major reserves of lithium, coltan and gold, is battling a Rwanda‑backed rebellion in its mineral‑rich east that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands. Kinshasa last year signed a minerals partnership with the U.S. to strengthen supply chains and security as Washington seeks to reduce China’s dominance in critical minerals.

The IGM said the new unit will be gradually deployed across Congo’s mining regions and is expected to reach more than 20,000 personnel by the end of 2028.

A first contingent of between 2,500 and 3,000 is due to be operational from December 2026, following recruitment and six months of training in collaboration with the military.

“The will of the President of the Republic is to clean up the entire mining sector, by eliminating practices that run counter to good governance, transparency and the traceability of minerals,” said Rafael Kabengele, the country’s inspector general of mines.

Under the Congo‑U.S. minerals partnership, Virtus took over copper-cobalt miner Chemaf while other Western firms have expressed interest in mining assets, including in rebel‑held areas where insecurity has previously disrupted operations.

The mining guard will take over security duties currently carried out by defence forces. Its mandate will include securing mine sites, escorting mineral shipments from extraction areas to processing facilities and border posts, and safeguarding investments, the statement said.

The initiative is expected to strengthen investor confidence and improve state oversight of mineral production, officials said.

(Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)