DR Congo to establish US-backed paramilitary guard for mines

The $100m plan 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) plans to set up a paramilitary unit to secure the country’s large mining sites.The General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM), which oversees the East African country’s abundant deposits of critical minerals, announced the creation of “the mining guard” on Monday. The unit will be backed by investments from the United States and United Arab Emirates as Washington and its ally seek to lock in access to the minerals and the DRC struggles with rebel groups for control in the country’s troubled east.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4At least 43 people killed in ADF attack in northeast DR Congo, army sayslist 2 of 4US ‘third-country’ deportees deal sparks backlash in DRClist 3 of 4DRC and M23 rebels eye peace monitoring agreement in Switzerlandlist 4 of 4DRC government, M23 rebels commit to protecting civilians, aid deliveriesend of listThe IGM described the plan 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.“By the end of 2028, a gradual deployment is planned of a workforce of more than 20,000 guards covering the 22 mining provinces under IGM supervision,” the body said in a statement.Recruits will undergo a six-month training programme, and the first contingent is expected to be deployed in December, it added.President Felix Tshisekedi aims to “clean up the entire mining sector, by eliminating practices that run counter to good governance, transparency and the traceability of minerals”, the inspector general of mines, Rafael Kabengele, said in the statement.The $100m programme is being funded through partnerships with the US and UAE, the IGM said.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. The country also has some of the world’s richest deposits of copper, coltan and lithium.