DRC: DRC Mining Risks Worsen as Artisanal Cobalt Miners Turn to Copper

Aug 22, 2019 | David Whitehouse, Africa Report
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Artisanal miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been turning to copper following the slump in cobalt prices. That means security risks for miners in the DRC are set to intensify. The DRC’s industrial miners are facing a “battle on all fronts”, says says Indigo Ellis, DRC analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. Artisanal miners shifting from cobalt to copper will mean that industrial miners will face more illegal incursions as the hunt for copper intensifies, Ellis says.  “Industrial copper miners’ risk exposure will rise” as crackdowns by the DRC armed forces become more frequent.