In a recent address to the United Nations, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) highlighted significant disparities between nations that produce essential minerals and those that benefit from them through technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and renewable energy. She emphasized the irony and peril of added value, employment, and technology remaining distanced from the communities that serve as their foundation. Suminwa argued against a longstanding model that sees mineral-producing countries confined to raw extraction while advanced processes and profits accumulate elsewhere. Read more.
The DRC plays a crucial role in this global equation, being the largest producer of cobalt, a mineral vital for electric car and device batteries. Recent data suggests that the DRC supplied 76 percent of the global cobalt market in 2024. However, despite its pivotal role, the nation has not reaped proportional economic benefits, which remain concentrated in other regions, particularly in Western nations and China. This has sparked discussions among African leaders on establishing local manufacturing, research, and marketing hubs for electric vehicles and batteries within the DRC. Yet, coaxing private industry investment into such initiatives requires overcoming significant hurdles. Details found here.
Continued conflict in the country, largely linked to control over these vital mineral resources, further complicates these ambitions. Rebel groups, particularly M23, maintain control over resource-rich regions, seeking exploitation of cobalt, gold, and other commodities. The complex motivations behind the group include a blend of ethnic and historical factors. Suminwa poignantly remarked on the inconsistency of driving a decarbonized economy through minerals tainted by conflict, urging for a just transition that does not reprise dependencies of the past. More context is available here.
The political undercurrents involving Rwanda, which has supported M23 for strategic reasons, only exacerbate tensions. This relationship allows Rwanda’s Tutsi-led government to wield power in the region, influenced by its historical struggles, although such support complicates the path to peace. Despite a US-brokered peace deal in 2025 between the DRC and Rwanda, stability remains elusive, echoing Suminwa’s observation that peace remains an unfulfilled promise for millions of Congolese citizens. Insights on the peace deal are described here.
The conflict has extracted a heavy humanitarian price, with over seven million people displaced amidst ongoing hostilities. Suminwa expressed hope that technological advancements and international peace frameworks could eventually foster opportunities for employment, skill development, and prosperity among the Congolese populace.