In addition, an estimated 1,000 to 4,000 metric tons of uranium were left behind in mining waste. This poses serious risks to the health of workers and local communities. It also damages the environment. The DRC is one of the world’s top cobalt producers. The country ships out more than half of the global supply. Much of this cobalt comes from the Copper Belt. Even though the DRC no longer officially exports uranium, the country supplied much of the material for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. Uranium is still being extracted as a byproduct of cobalt mining. This happens because the cobalt ores in the area naturally have higher concentrations of uranium. These concentrations are higher compared to most rocks.
China’s role and the IAEA’s blind spot
According to the researchers, most uranium-laden cobalt was shipped to China. Lighthouse Reports indicates that about 95 percent of the cobalt mined in the DRC is sent to China, where it is refined. In 2023, China controlled about 80 percent of the world’s cobalt refining capacity. Because the uranium is not declared or tracked, its eventual use remains unknown. It could support either civilian nuclear energy or military programs, without any regulation or oversight in place to monitor its use.
Florimond Kabanda, head of the DRC’s nuclear safety agency, Comité National de Protection contre les Rayonnements Ionisants, told the Financial Times. He said the country needs to take stronger measures to secure its borders. He emphasized that the DRC must protect its population. He also said the country must protect the global community. This is from the risks of this unmonitored uranium export.