The reform is part of broader efforts to improve governance in the mining sector. The 20,000 recruits, yet to undergo training, will be tasked with protecting large-scale mining operations, overseeing artisanal mines, and strengthening traceability of mineral exports.

Authorities have not disclosed the name of the private company selected for training this paramilitary unit.

Training for the mining guards could begin as early as September, with the first battalion scheduled for deployment in the Katanga region in January 2027.

The military and police have traditionally been deployed around mining sites, but in some provinces, such as Lualaba, private security personnel are already active. These local agents are recruited and trained by local firms registered with security services.

Henri Kasongo Mutata, coordinator of the diocesan commission for natural resources and environment in Lualaba, notes: “Currently, security at mining sites here is provided by the mining police, along with various private security companies. Mining right holders hire private guards to secure their sites.”

Making mines less crime-prone

The DRC holds vast reserves of copper, cobalt, tin, coltan, gold, lithium, and zinc. While agreements exist allowing foreign companies, including American firms, to operate mines, many sites remain inaccessible due to the ongoing conflict in the east. One example is the Rubaya coltan mine, one of the world’s largest, now controlled by the AFC-M23 rebels. This is a concern for Crispine Ngena, an ecofeminist activist focusing on women’s participation in natural resource management.

“The first challenge is that the sites are militarized. I don’t see rights being respected in these jungles. I don’t see standards being applied. Secondly, does the Congolese state have the capacity to make mines less crime-prone and ensure that foreign companies respect standards and rights, especially the rights of indigenous peoples and women in these areas that are already like a jungle?”

Separately, in recent months, private security teams linked to Erik Prince, founder of the former Blackwater company, have been deployed at several mines around Kolwezi and Kisangani in the Lualaba and Tshopo provinces. Their primary mission reportedly includes securing mines, improving tax collection, and combating smuggling.