Congo’s Cobalt Crisis: How Illegal Mining and Ebola Could Slash Metalcol’s Lifespan by 66%!

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[The Guru = Reporter Byun Su-ji] The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s mining sector is reeling from a series of shocks—illegal mining, military involvement and a renewed Ebola outbreak—that are increasing instability across global raw-material supply chains.

On May 19 (local time), Kazakhstan-based Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) said illegal miners protected by the military have occupied a large portion of the site operated by its subsidiary at the Metalkol mine.

Metalkol, near the southeastern mining city of Kolwezi, is one of the world’s major cobalt-producing sites.

ERG says military-backed mining groups have been hauling tailings—waste left from earlier extraction—out by the truckload. While tailings are residual material, many DRC mine sites contain high concentrations of cobalt and copper, so reprocessing them can be highly profitable.

The area in question holds roughly 45 million tonnes of tailings. ERG warned that continued removal of those resources could shorten Metalkol’s projected operating life from nine years to three, and it estimates potential losses exceed 15 trillion KRW (approximately 11.25 billion USD).

There are also allegations that a senior DRC military official is involved in the illicit activity. Gabriel Amisi Kumba, the DRC’s inspector general of the armed forces and a target of U.S. and EU sanctions, is reported to have ordered the military and intelligence services to support illegal tailings extraction. Amisi previously faced sanctions over alleged human rights abuses.

Compounding the problem, an Ebola outbreak has added to the disruption. In Ituri province in eastern DRC, the outbreak that began late last month has killed 131 people to date.

Ebola is an acute viral disease transmitted through bodily fluids, characterized by fever and hemorrhaging and carrying a high risk of death. Officials say the current outbreak’s case fatality rate is about 30–50% and that there are no vaccines or approved treatments available for this wave.

Neighboring countries, including Rwanda, have closed land borders with the DRC to try to curb the spread.

Canadian miner Barrick said it is conducting temperature checks and monitoring worker movements at the Kibali gold mine, which is adjacent to the outbreak area.

Experts caution, however, that containment will be difficult in eastern DRC, where miners and traders move frequently. Mining operations, trade and investment suffered significant disruptions during the 2014–2016 West Africa and 2018–2020 DRC Ebola outbreaks.