One big problem in Democratic Republic of Congo is “artisanal” mining by independent subsistence miners, not officially employed by the mining companies. These miners dig out rocks containing the precious metal by hand, crush and wash them and sell the metal for pennies to international traders. Up to 20 per cent of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s cobalt is produced by artisanal mining. Chinese companies buy a lot of artisanal cobalt.
Democratic Republic of Congo achieved independence in 1960 but … the country has since been ravaged by wars and bad government Research is ongoing to produce effective batteries that are not reliant on cobalt, but success here would be a double-edged sword for Democratic Republic of Congo. A big drop in worldwide demand for cobalt would leave hundreds of thousands of poor Africans with no income, condemned to live in a landscape ravaged by mining and unable to support agriculture.
Only time will tell how effective the EGC will be. The Democratic Republic of Congo government is dogged by the most severe problems and has only limited enforcement reach. Frequent wars and illegal mining by armed groups greatly weaken the country’s ability to utilise its massive natural resources.