Overview
- The peer‑reviewed study published July 30, 2026 estimates that 2,000 to 5,000 metric tons of natural uranium were extracted and exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo embedded in cobalt‑hydroxide shipments between 2000 and 2024.
- The authors report less than about 10% of that uranium appears to have been declared to international safeguards and say most undeclared shipments likely went to refineries in China where crude cobalt is processed.
- Researchers stress they found no evidence the material was intentionally diverted for weapons but note the scale of undeclared transfers means the uranium has no formal limits on end use until it is declared and placed under safeguards.
- The team estimates 1,000 to 4,000 metric tons of uranium may have been left in mine tailings in chemically mobile forms, which could expose miners and nearby communities to radiation and contamination without routine monitoring.
- The study calls for a national audit in the DRC, routine assays of cobalt‑hydroxide exports, worker radiation checks, and supply‑chain rules to separate and track uranium, and it could prompt policy scrutiny by the IAEA and refining nations.