Congo creates $100 million paramilitary mining security unit with US and UAE funding
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 27
Congo creates $100 million paramilitary mining security unit with US and UAE funding
5 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 27
The General Inspectorate of Mines will deploy up to 3,000 armed recruits by December 2026, aiming for 20,000 mining guards nationwide by 2028.
The initiative is funded by the US and United Arab Emirates to enhance security at Congo’s mining sites, which are critical to global mineral supply chains.
This move follows ongoing concerns over illegal mining, resource smuggling, and violence in Congo’s mining regions, with international partners seeking to stabilize and regulate the sector.
With a 20,000-strong force planned, who will police the police in Congo's mines?
Can a paramilitary unit protect miners when past security deals have failed them?
Will the DRC's new foreign-funded mining police finally end its 'resource curse'?
Is the US 'minerals-for-security' deal a path to prosperity or a new colonialism?
How will a US-backed force impact China’s dominance over Congo's critical cobalt supply?