KINSHASA, April 28 (Xinhua) — The General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday clarified that the planned creation of a “Mining Guard” would not rely on direct financing by any particular state, a day after announcing the establishment of the special paramilitary unit to secure the country’s mining sector.
In a press release released Tuesday, the IGM said the project is part of a broader framework of cooperation and dialogue with several international partners.
“The financing mechanisms under consideration are based on diversified arrangements involving different types of actors and do not correspond to direct financing by any particular state,” the statement said.
Discussions are continuing to structure a mechanism in line with national priorities, the IGM said, adding that further communications would be issued in due course.
The clarification came after the IGM announced on Monday a plan to deploy more than 20,000 mining guards across 22 mining provinces by 2028. According to the earlier statement, the unit would be tasked with securing the entire mineral exploitation chain, including mining sites and the transport of minerals from extraction zones to processing facilities and border posts.
The IGM said on Monday that the initiative is intended to improve governance, transparency, and traceability in the mining sector, while eliminating practices inconsistent with good governance standards.
The first contingent is expected to comprise between 2,500 and 3,000 recruits selected through a vetting process. Recruitment is scheduled to begin in May 2026, followed by six months of training in collaboration with military institutions, with the first operational deployment expected in December 2026.
The IGM said the unit is expected to cover security needs in the Grand Katanga and Grande Orientale regions by the end of 2027 before expanding nationwide by 2028.
The plan comes as the DRC, the world’s leading producer of cobalt and the second-largest producer of copper, seeks to tighten oversight of its strategic mining sector amid persistent insecurity, smuggling concerns, and pressure to increase state revenue from mineral exports. ■
