Investigation Raises Alarm Over Uranium in DRC Cobalt Exports To China

A new investigation has raised concerns that uranium may have been exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo to China alongside cobalt shipments, highlighting potential risks in the country’s mineral supply chain.

Lighthouse Reports, working with the Financial Times and Le Monde, traced the findings to a previously undisclosed 2024 memo from the International Atomic Energy Agency. The memo cited information suggesting uranium was present in significant quantities in cobalt ores from Katanga and could be exported as a cobalt by-product.

Researchers estimate that between 2,000 and 5,000 tonnes of uranium may have been shipped from the DRC to China in cobalt hydroxide exports between 2000 and 2024. The investigation said it could not establish whether the uranium was later extracted or used in China.

Tenke Fungurume Mining, one of the DRC’s major cobalt producers and now owned by Chinese group CMOC, was the most extensively examined operation. Internal documents reviewed by investigators reportedly recorded uranium concentrations in cobalt samples, including a peak of 1,100 parts per million in 2016.

DRC nuclear authorities told investigators that it was technically possible, and potentially probable, that uranium could be carried out of the country with cobalt shipments. Officials said they had sought funding to install radiation detectors on trucks travelling from the DRC into Zambia.

CMOC has strongly rejected the findings, saying its current cobalt hydroxide production complies with Congolese regulations and international customer standards. The company also denied extracting or separating uranium in the DRC or China.

The investigation adds another layer to growing scrutiny of the DRC’s mineral exports as the country seeks greater control over its copper and cobalt value chains and tighter oversight of what leaves its territory.

The findings remain disputed, with investigators standing by their reporting and CMOC maintaining that its products meet applicable standards.