DRC to Establish US-Backed Paramilitary Guard for Mines Operations

Democratic Republic of the Congo to Establish Paramilitary Unit for Mining Security

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) plans to create a paramilitary unit to secure its mining sites, according to an announcement by the General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM). The unit, dubbed “the mining guard,” will be backed by investments from the United States and United Arab Emirates.

The IGM stated that the plan aims to establish a “paramilitary special unit intended to secure the entire mineral exploitation chain” in the DRC. The guard will be responsible for securing mining sites as well as minerals transport, with a planned deployment of over 20,000 guards across 22 mining provinces by the end of 2028.

Recruits will undergo a six-month training program, and the first contingent is expected to be deployed in December. The unit’s establishment is part of Washington’s efforts to secure access to critical minerals as the DRC struggles with rebel groups for control of territories containing reserves.

The $100m programme is being funded through partnerships with the US and UAE. The Central African nation is responsible for about 70 percent of the global output of cobalt, a key mineral in the production of electric car batteries and defence technology. Chinese mining firms have a dominant position in the country, but the US is pushing to reduce this dominance.

The DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement in December aimed at ending conflict in the eastern DRC. The accord includes an economic component aimed at driving the supply of strategic minerals for US interests.

Source: Al Jazeera