DRC probes how 5,000 tonnes of uranium ‘leaked’ into cobalt exports

The Democratic Republic of Congo is investigating uranium contamination in cobalt exports after researchers estimated that thousands of tonnes of the radioactive metal likely left the world’s largest cobalt-producing nation over the past two decades.

The government said it would test cobalt hydroxide exported largely to China and establish a working group to assess findings published July 30 in Nature Communications and examined in a Financial Times and Lighthouse Reports collaborative investigation.

Kinshasa also plans to consult the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about arranging a technical support mission, while domestic authorities will assess potential health and environmental risks over the next 60 days and make their findings public.

“The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken careful note” of the findings, officials said.

The investigation comes as demand for cobalt, a key material in some lithium-ion batteries, has made DRC’s Copperbelt central to global supply chains. Uranium occurs naturally alongside copper and cobalt ores across the region and can remain attached to cobalt minerals as they move through mining and processing.