DR Congo uranium exports suspected to be occurring unreported

Research indicates that substantial, unreported quantities of uranium are likely being exported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). While the country has not officially reported uranium exports in decades, geological analysis suggests significant illicit movement of the mineral.

The findings are based on the natural geologic co-occurrence of uranium and cobalt in the DRC's Copperbelt region. Because uranium and cobalt occur together in rock and react similarly to chemical processing, they are difficult to separate during extraction. This shared chemical behavior makes it possible for uranium to be moved alongside cobalt statistics.

The Copperbelt, specifically the Shinkolobwe mine in the southeast, was historically a primary source of uranium for the United States’ Manhattan Project. Although the Shinkolobwe mine has been officially closed to excavation since 2004, the geological link between cobalt and uranium remains a key factor in identifying potential unreported mineral outflows.