\u201cThe concern is that everyone is interested in getting Congolese cobalt to the world market because it is of very high quality,\u201d Agenong\u2019a said. \u201cBut nobody pays attention to the environmental harms, the social impacts, and the communities\u2019 grievances.\u201d<\/p>\n
The DRC produces roughly 70% of the world\u2019s cobalt, a mineral considered essential for the batteries used in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. As governments and industries push to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, competition for access to the DRC\u2019s cobalt and other transition minerals has intensified.<\/p>\n But the global demand for \u201cclean energy\u201d minerals has also fueled growing debate over whether the transition itself is creating new environmental and social injustices in mineral-rich countries like the DRC.<\/p>\n Also read:<\/p>\n \u2022 In the race for DRC\u2019s critical minerals, community forests are on the frontline<\/a> Agenong\u2019a said he attended the Madrid conference partly to better understand how international mining interests are positioning themselves around the DRC\u2019s cobalt. He said he registered independently.<\/p>\n He said many of the roughly 280 delegates attending the event represented mining firms or institutions closely tied to the sector, and described an atmosphere dominated by networking, deal-making, and lobbying among mining executives, foreign service providers, and DRC officials. The latter included representatives linked to the presidency and the Ministry of Mines, Agenong\u2019a said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe actors in this business are well armed, even more than the government and other stakeholders in the DRC,\u201d he said, referring to their financial and political influence. \u201cThey can bribe, they can influence policies, they can have expensive dinners with government officials, and change situations in their favor.\u201d<\/p>\n A 2026 report<\/a> by U.S.-based think tank the Council on Foreign Relations documented more than 100-armed groups operating in the DRC, contributing to the destabilization of mining supply chains. According to international environmental advocacy group Global Witness<\/a>, multinational companies purchase cobalt, tin and other minerals through intermediaries that, in some cases, buy the minerals directly from militia groups.<\/p>\n Agenong\u2019a\u2019s comments come at a time when scrutiny is increasing globally over the ethics and traceability of critical mineral supply chains. Battery manufacturers and mining companies increasingly promote certification systems and due diligence standards aimed at assuring consumers that minerals are responsibly sourced.<\/p>\n But Agenong\u2019a questioned whether many of those systems are credible or capable of protecting communities in the DRC.<\/p>\n \u201cIf countries that do not produce cobalt are exporting increasing quantities of these minerals, especially during war in the DRC, then where is this coming from?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhat exactly are the certifiers certifying?\u201d<\/p>\n His remarks echo broader concerns that conflict minerals and smuggled resources continue to move across borders in Africa\u2019s Great Lakes region despite international traceability schemes and corporate due diligence commitments.<\/p>\n He also criticized what he described as weak parliamentary oversight of the mining sector inside the DRC. He accused some politicians of personally benefiting from mining interests, making meaningful scrutiny difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have politicians who are not interested in these issues because they themselves have interests in mining,\u201d he said. \u201cParliament is largely outside this deliberation, and without parliament\u2019s participation, it will be difficult to protect Congolese interests against foreign companies that are well positioned to influence decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, Agenong\u2019a acknowledged that resistance within the country remains limited and fragmented. He pointed to weak investigative journalism, underfunded civil society groups, and low levels of public awareness around mining contracts and environmental risks.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigative journalism is dying,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout organizations like Mongabay or international media training local reporters and helping expose these issues, we will not have objective stories reaching international audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n Banner image: A miner in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023. Image by Electronics Watch via Flickr<\/a> (CC BY-NC 2.0<\/a>).<\/p>\n Cobalt mining for green energy risks women\u2019s reproductive health in DRC<\/a><\/p>\n FEEDBACK: Use this form<\/a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/53330506967_e929caaa2a_k.jpg\")
A miner in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023. Image by Electronics Watch via Flickr<\/a> (CC BY-NC 2.0<\/a>).<\/p>\n
\u2022 DRC copper exports to US set to surge amid warnings of corruption risk<\/a>
\u2022 Impunity and pollution abound in DRC mining along the road to the energy transition<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Approximately](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/222078-1444x710-1-768x512-1.jpg\")
Approximately 70% of the world\u2019s cobalt is found in the DRC. This mineral is essential for electric vehicles, smartphones, and, more broadly, for the global energy transition. Photo: Amnesty International.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/53331384516_f957c297ea_k.jpg\")
A bag of washed cobalt ore from an artisanal mining site in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023. Image by Electronics Watch via Flickr<\/a> (CC BY-NC 2.0<\/a>).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3211d4774d10f7666706bf3cb7d62273164be601bb3f25c6c357b112f0e5ddb3.png\")
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