Congo Launches Uranium Probe After Cobalt Export Study Raises Radiation Concerns

August 10, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

The Democratic Republic of Congo will establish an inter-ministerial working group and seek technical assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency after research raised concerns that uranium could be leaving the country embedded in cobalt exports. The government plans to test cobalt shipment samples in laboratories inside and outside the country as part of the investigation. The review will also examine possible consequences for workers and the environment.

The study, published in Nature Communications, estimated that up to 5,000 tons of natural uranium may have been exported from Congo within cobalt shipments between 2000 and 2024. It also estimated that between 1,000 and 4,000 tons of uranium may have been discarded in mining waste during the same period in forms that are easily mobilised. The findings are significant for Congo, which supplies about three-quarters of the world's cobalt. Much of the mineral is exported as cobalt hydroxide, a powder that typically contains 30 to 40 percent cobalt along with other materials.

Uranium is naturally present in parts of southeastern Congo, where copper and cobalt mining are concentrated. The region has a long history of uranium extraction, including a mine that supplied uranium for the Manhattan Project. Radiation has previously disrupted cobalt production and exports. Glencore's Kamoto Copper unit suspended cobalt shipments for several months in 2018 because of radioactivity concerns and subsequently introduced a process to remove contamination. Congo also temporarily closed a Zijin Mining Group mine in 2024 after detecting elevated radiation levels in its cobalt exports.

Government agencies conduct radiation checks on shipments and can stop exports when elevated levels are detected. The study nevertheless suggested that some uranium may have been exported without declaration and without being subject to international safeguards. Congo said it had taken the study "with the utmost attention" and would investigate its findings. The government defended its management of the issue, saying uranium occurring alongside cobalt and copper had been handled during more than a century of industrial mining. "Congolese cobalt will continue to be extracted and exported in compliance with the strictest ethical, environmental, and safety standards, in accordance with established international standards," it said.

Source: FSX Business News