A dispute has emerged between Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), and US-backed mining technology firm KoBold Metals over access to colonial-era geological records linked to Africa’s largest copper producer.
The archives, housed at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Brussels, contain extensive data on DR Congo’s mineral resources. Louis Watum Kabamba, DR Congo’s Minister of Mines, said Congolese officials were engaging Belgian authorities to accelerate access.
Belgian officials maintain the documents are federal public archives and cannot be exclusively shared with a foreign private company. An EU-funded digitisation programme is underway, with copies to be provided to DR Congo authorities.
Key developments:
• KoBold Metals, backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, signed a 2025 agreement with DR Congo to digitise records.
• Belgium insists the museum will oversee digitisation and maintain open public access.
• DR Congo holds major global reserves of cobalt, copper, and lithium, vital for batteries and industrial supply chains.
• The dispute reflects wider geopolitical competition over critical minerals and unresolved tensions linked to Belgium’s colonial legacy.
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