By: OrePulse

The Democratic Republic of Congo's mining cadastre authority, CAMI, has referred 296 non-compliant mining and quarry titles to the country's Directorate of Mines for possible revocation, after holders failed to demonstrate that required development work had begun within regulatory deadlines.

CAMI Director General Popol Mabolia Yenga signed the referral notice on October 29, citing holders' failure to show evidence of starting work as required under Articles 387 and 391 of the DRC's Mining Regulations. The 296 titles referred include 230 exploration permits, 39 mining exploitation permits, 16 permanent quarry exploitation authorizations, seven small-scale mining permits and four tailings exploitation permits.

TSM Entreprise SARL holds the largest number of affected titles, with 18 exploration permits and one exploitation permit in the Mutshatsha territory of Lualaba province. Prometal SARL holds 12 affected titles, consisting of 11 exploration permits and one small-scale mining permit, in Haut-Lomami province.

Under DRC mining regulations, holders of exploration permits are required to begin qualifying work within one year of the permit's issuance, including deploying at least two geologists on-site for a minimum of 10 days. Exploitation rights and quarry authorizations carry similar work-start obligations, with deadlines of either one or three years depending on the category of title. The specific requirements for qualifying development work were further detailed in a ministerial order issued by Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba on September 8, 2025.

Titleholders named in the referral now face a formal revocation process set out under Article 288 of the DRC's Mining Code and Article 561 of the Mining Regulations. The process gives affected companies a 45-day period to submit a defense before any ministerial decision on revocation, followed by a 30-day window to appeal such a decision if issued. Companies whose titles are ultimately revoked face a five-year bar on reapplying for new mining or quarry rights in the country.

The referral represents one of the largest batches of non-compliant titles CAMI has flagged for potential revocation, touching multiple provinces including Lualaba and Haut-Lomami, both significant centers of DRC's mining sector. The action reflects an ongoing effort by Congolese authorities to enforce work-start deadlines on dormant permits, a practice regulators in resource-rich jurisdictions use to prevent companies from holding exploration or exploitation rights indefinitely without investing in development.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 296 referred titleholders intend to contest the action during the 45-day defense period, or how quickly the Directorate of Mines is expected to issue final decisions on the referred titles.

The DRC has sought in recent years to tighten enforcement of its mining code as part of a broader push to ensure that granted exploration and exploitation rights translate into active investment, rather than being held speculatively without development.