DR Congo Investigates Undeclared Uranium in Cobalt Exports to China Following Scientific Alarm

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a formal, multi-agency investigation into its critical minerals sector, announcing immediate plans to screen all outbound cobalt exports for undeclared radioactive material. The sweeping regulatory move marks a significant step toward closing a decades-old oversight gap in the global battery supply chain, following scientific revelations that thousands of tons of natural uranium have inadvertently left the country. By establishing a dedicated working group and committing to new border protocols, Kinshasa is attempting to assert control over a complex geological and logistical challenge that has quietly persisted throughout the modern electric vehicle boom.[4][6]

The government's unprecedented intervention was catalyzed by a landmark scientific study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. Conducted by researchers from Princeton University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in partnership with the investigative journalism non-profit Lighthouse Reports, the research exposed a major blind spot in international nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The collaborative investigation demonstrated that strategic quantities of uranium have been quietly exiting the DRC alongside routine cobalt shipments for nearly a quarter of a century, completely bypassing the established international frameworks designed to track and safeguard nuclear materials.[1][2][3]

The mechanism behind these undocumented exports is fundamentally geological rather than deliberately clandestine. In the DRC's mineral-rich Copperbelt—a region that currently supplies roughly 70 percent of the world's cobalt—uranium naturally co-occurs in high concentrations alongside oxidized copper and cobalt ores. Because uranium and cobalt share remarkably similar chemical behaviors during the initial hydrometallurgical refining processes used at the mine sites, the radioactive element effectively "hitches a ride" into the crude cobalt hydroxide. This partially refined compound makes up over 95 percent of the country's cobalt exports, carrying the uranium with it hidden in plain sight.[1][2][3]

To quantify the scale of the oversight, the research team utilized countrywide mineralization data, advanced geochemical models, and comprehensive mine-level trade records spanning more than two decades. Their analysis estimated that between 2,000 and 5,000 metric tons of natural uranium were exported from the DRC embedded within cobalt shipments between 2000 and 2024. This massive outflow occurred despite the fact that the DRC has not officially reported any commercial uranium production since the historic Shinkolobwe mine—the source of the uranium used in the Manhattan Project—was formally closed by presidential decree in 2004.[1][3][4]

The destination for the vast majority of this undeclared radioactive material is the People's Republic of China, which has developed a dominant position in the global critical minerals market and currently refines approximately 80 percent of the world's cobalt supply. Because the uranium remains deeply embedded within the unrefined cobalt hydroxide when it is loaded onto transport ships, it crosses international borders as a standard battery metal rather than a restricted nuclear component. This classification allows the shipments to move globally without triggering the standard nuclear material tracking protocols mandated by international treaties.[2][3][4]

The implications for international nuclear accountancy are substantial and have triggered immediate calls for reform. According to the Nature Communications study, less than 10 percent of the exported uranium was ever publicly declared and placed under the official safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). While there is no established evidence that the material has been deliberately diverted for weapons programs by the importing refineries, the researchers noted that the estimated volume is highly strategic. At the upper bounds of the estimate, the exported uranium could theoretically fuel a standard light-water nuclear reactor for up to 25 years.[1][3]

Beyond the geopolitical proliferation concerns, the scientific findings highlight immediate environmental and public health risks for the local communities living near the extraction sites. The geochemical models suggest that an additional 1,000 to 4,000 metric tons of uranium were likely discarded into mine tailings during the initial processing phases. Because this waste material is often left in easily mobilized forms, it raises the severe risk of radioactive leaching into the soil, agricultural land, and groundwater surrounding the sprawling Copperbelt operations, prompting urgent calls for environmental remediation.[1][2]

In response to the mounting evidence, Kinshasa has committed to a rigorous 60-day assessment period to evaluate both the health and environmental risks associated with the cobalt supply chain. The Congolese Ministry of Communication announced the formation of a specialized working group, plans to deploy advanced radiation detectors at key border crossings, and intentions to formally consult the IAEA. The government is seeking a technical support mission to establish proper monitoring frameworks that can separate and account for the uranium without halting the vital export of battery metals.[6]

The mining industry, however, has pushed back aggressively against the allegations of widespread regulatory negligence. CMOC Group, the major Chinese mining conglomerate that operates the massive Tenke Fungurume mine in the Katanga region, flatly denied any uranium contamination that exceeds applicable legal limits. In public statements, the company maintained that its cobalt hydroxide production complies strictly with all local regulatory requirements and disputed the historical data models used by the researchers to estimate the volume of undeclared exports.[5]

As the Democratic Republic of Congo begins its comprehensive audit, the international community faces a complex regulatory balancing act. Ensuring that the global transition away from fossil fuels—which relies heavily on the uninterrupted flow of Congolese cobalt for electric vehicle batteries—does not inadvertently compromise nuclear security will require unprecedented cooperation. Moving forward, mining operators, national governments, and international safeguard agencies will need to design and implement new extraction protocols that can cleanly separate the minerals at the source.[2][4]