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2026-11-03 15:48:26
[Thousands of Tons of Copper and Cobalt Seized in Democratic Republic of Congo; Justice Minister Orders Investigation into Allegations of Illegal Mining] (1) Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seized thousands of tons of copper and cobalt, prompting the country's Justice Minister to order an investigation into allegations of widespread illegal mining. (2) The DRC Ministry of Justice issued a statement on Monday saying the seizure was carried out by a committee of police, military, and mining officials after inspecting the copper-rich Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces in the southeast of the country. (3) The operation seized more than 500 trucks and other vehicles and machinery, as well as thousands of tons of copper and cobalt; the operation may uncover mining fraud, illegal mining of mineral resources, and mineral smuggling. (4) The DRC is the world's largest supplier of cobalt, a battery metal, and the world's second-largest copper producer. (5) The country has struggled to prevent illegal miners from encroaching on the vast mining concessions held by international mining companies.
