Overview
- The General Inspectorate of Mines, which announced the plan Monday, set a $100 million budget for a new guard to protect mine sites and mineral shipments.
- The U.S. embassy said Tuesday it is not funding units to patrol or guard mines, and the regulator later said financing is being set up with partners without direct backing from any single country.
- IGM targets 2,500 to 3,000 trained recruits by December after a six‑month course, then a scale‑up to more than 20,000 across 22 mining provinces by the end of 2028.
- The unit’s mandate replaces troops and police in mining zones to improve traceability and curb illegal trade that has grown in the country’s conflict‑hit east.
- Congo supplies key minerals such as cobalt and copper for batteries and electronics, and new U.S. partnerships alongside fresh Chinese investment deals highlight the wider contest to secure these resources.