Analysis: DRC Uncertainty Could Fuel Tighter Cobalt Regulations

Dec 14, 2016 | Neil Thompson
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The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, accounting for roughly 60% of global production, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). However, both international human rights groups and media organisations have in the past revealed that cobalt – which is mainly mined in the unstable eastern region of the country – is largely unregulated, leaving the workers vulnerable to exploitation and poor work conditions.

An Amnesty International report into the DRC cobalt industry revealed that 20% of cobalt production is still mined by hand. Focusing mainly on Kolwezi, the centre of artisanal cobalt mining in the former province of Katanga, researchers documented thousands of Congolese working in unsafe conditions, and serious issues with child labour, pollution of water sources and a widespread lack of basic safety equipment. 

International regulators have recently called for further scrutiny into the supply chain of DRC-sourced cobalt, and this demand is likely to grow louder due to the worsening political situation in the country.