US not funding Congo's $100 million mine guard, embassy says

By Ange Kasongo

KINSHASA, April 28 (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday it is not funding any security units tasked with policing or guarding mines in Democratic Republic of Congo after Kinshasa announced plans to launch a paramilitary force to secure mining sites.

Congo’s General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM) said in a statement on Monday that the paramilitary guard would be funded by a $100 million budget and created under strategic partnerships with the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. embassy said that Washington remained committed to advancing economic growth and stability in Congo through the strategic partnership, but it was not involved in funding mine security units.

“The U.S. government is not currently funding any units to patrol or guard mines in the Congo,” it said in a statement.

Congo’s mining regulator also said on Tuesday that plans for the mining guard, while developed with multiple international partners, would not involve direct funding by any single country.

"Discussions are ongoing to structure a mechanism that is consistent with national priorities," it said in a statement.

The central African nation has been battling a Rwanda‑backed rebellion in its mineral‑rich east and security support and investment form part of a minerals partnership it signed with the U.S. to improve access to Congo's vast copper, cobalt and lithium resources.

The new unit will be rolled out across mining regions nationwide and is expected to exceed 20,000 personnel by the end of 2028.

Congo, the world’s top cobalt supplier and second-largest copper producer, has said it is seeking to strengthen security around strategic mineral assets, part of wider efforts to attract investment and reduce armed group activity in mining regions.

The government last month signed a separate deal with China aimed at strengthening investments as geopolitical competition for its minerals deepens.