DR Congo Probes Export of Undeclared Uranium in Cobalt

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has launched an investigation into allegations that between 2,000 and 5,000 tonnes of natural uranium were exported from the country embedded in cobalt shipments from 2000 to 2024. The probe follows a July study in Nature Communications, supported by the Financial Times and Lighthouse Reports, which suggests the material was primarily bound for China.

Researchers from Princeton University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison also warned that up to 4,000 tonnes of uranium may have been discarded in mining waste, creating significant environmental and health risks. To address these findings, the Congolese government is establishing an inter-ministerial working group, testing cobalt samples in national and international laboratories, and requesting a technical support mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency. The government also plans to install radiation detectors for trucks exiting the country.

The Union of Chinese-Capital Mining Companies in the DRC denied the allegations, claiming an internal review found no excessive uranium levels in its members' products. While the Congolese government maintains that co-mineralization has been responsibly managed for over a century, it asserts that future exports will comply with the strictest ethical and safety standards.