The New Scramble: Geological Archives, Geopolitics, and the Conflict Over Congo’s Minerals

By Dr Minga Mbweck Kongo*

Let us begin with a question that goes to the heart of our deeper selves: What does the restitution of the geological archive of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) mean?

This question addresses the fundamental aspects of our identity and challenges us to reassess its implications across various sectors of society. More often, restitution is understood in terms of ownership. 

For a geological archive to be restituted, it must first genuinely belong to those who offer to lend or give it. This process redefines the relationship between the owner and their historical records, raising questions about the form in which these archives should be returned and about proprietorial attitudes and determination towards their own heritage.

Nowhere are the complex questions of heritage, ownership, and data sovereignty more pressing than in the DRC, which occupies a critical position at the intersection of global decarbonisation efforts, historical resource extraction, and regional conflicts. 

The diplomatic mission held on 9 June 2026 in Belgium, led by the Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, focused on restitution and the digitisation of colonial geological archives. This initiative goes beyond mere bureaucratic formalities aimed at modernising the mining sector; it signifies a broader struggle for data sovereignty and spatial knowledge. This pursuit of geological intelligence is closely linked to the geopolitical economy of the Great Lakes region, where multinational corporations, foreign governments, and armed militias compete for control of the critical minerals that underpin the modern global economy. 

This initiative aligns with the vision of the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, and is being executed by the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, with the objective of modernising the management of the mining sector and enhancing the strategic valuation of the country’s natural resources. 

Beyond the progressive recovery of crucial data on the national subsoil, this approach marks a significant advance in strengthening the DRC’s geoscientific sovereignty and in building a more competitive, better-documented, and more investment-attractive mining sector.

Archive Restitution as Decolonisation

For decades, the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Africa Museum) in Tervuren, Belgium, has housed the world’s most extensive collection of Congolese geological data. The archive comprises millions of documents, rock samples, aerial photographs, and highly detailed colonial maps, produced during an era when European powers ruthlessly exploited Congolese labour and indigenous knowledge to chart the subsoil’s wealth.

From an anthropological and economic perspective, these archives function as instruments of authority because, during the colonial and post-colonial periods, mapping the land facilitated the dominance of foreign entities over the environment. 

Today, as the global transition towards green, sustainable energy technologies accelerates, the persistent demand for critical minerals—namely cobalt, lithium, and copper—can be regarded as a ‘hidden treasure’. International investors and multinational corporations, equipped with artificial intelligence and advanced digital exploration tools, have proactively endeavoured to exploit this data to discover untapped, high-grade deposits.

By advocating for the progressive restitution and digitisation of these archives, the Congolese government is actively engaging in epistemic decolonisation. This initiative reaffirms the fundamental right to “know” its own subsoil. As Congolese geoscientists and administrators gain access to this strategic scientific heritage, they move from passive recipients of foreign exploration to proactive agents capable of guiding national investments and fostering local discoveries.

The M23/RDF Conflict: The Violent Geography of Critical Minerals

While Kinshasa is negotiating the digital restitution of geological maps, a different, violent form of mapping is emerging in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. The global demand for critical minerals has fuelled decades of destructive conflict in the region, centred on the extraction of “blood minerals” such as tantalum (coltan), tin, tungsten, gold, and cobalt.

The resurgence of the March 23 Movement (M23) and its backing by the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) illustrate a markedly militarised approach to resource extraction. This conflict may be interpreted as a form of violent privatisation and territorial control over subsoil resources. Armed groups and proxy state actors are not solely motivated by ideology; they also seek to control mining regions to extract valuable raw materials, facilitate smuggling across borders, and finance their military endeavours.

In Kinshasa, government authorities and European partners—such as those participating in the PANAfGEO+ project—held discussions on ethical governance, data modernisation, and sustainable mining policies. 

Meanwhile, in the eastern DRC, civilians suffer from widespread atrocities, displacement, and systemic poverty as armed factions and multinational cartels extract the minerals that fuel the global green economy. The violence in the Kivus is driven by the lucrative international trade in these resources, illustrating how global demand directly supports the destabilisation of the region.

Data Sovereignty vs. Global Green Neocolonialism

The intersection of the M23/RDF conflict and the pursuit of geological archives underscores the persistent anthropological dilemma associated with neocolonialism in the DRC. The Global North’s shift towards a decarbonised future is heavily dependent on critical minerals sourced from Congo; however, the economic benefits of such extraction seldom reach local, artisanal, or wider Congolese populations.

Furthermore, the participation of European and multinational organisations in funding archival digitisation (through the European Union) and in executing memoranda of understanding with neighbouring countries, such as Rwanda, establishes a complex network of complicity. 

When international entities seek to extract minerals or access data while engaging with state actors that are actively arming militant groups in the eastern region, this sustains a cyclical pattern of structural violence. The narrative of “blood minerals” frequently oversimplifies a complex reality; however, it highlights a systemic truth: the conflict rooted in globalised interests is intrinsically linked to the substantial wealth of the Congo’s mineral resources.

A positive path ahead for the DRC.

The mission to reclaim geological archives in Belgium marks an important moment in the contemporary history of the DRC. It signifies the country’s endeavour to assert sovereignty over its geological heritage from former colonial powers and to leverage these resources for endogenous development. Nevertheless, this initiative must be considered alongside the ongoing multinational conflict and the M23/RDF crisis in the eastern region. 

As long as the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s subsoil remains a primary focus of international supply chains and of heavily armed proxy conflicts, the processes of mapping and discovering new mineral deposits will continue to have significant socio-anthropological implications. For the Congolese people, the land embodies a profound paradox: it is their most valuable strategic asset, yet it remains the fundamental cause of systemic subjugation and violence. Genuine sovereignty will only be attainable when the digitisation of geological archives is complemented by the pacification of eastern regions and the development of an equitable global economy for resources.

*Dr Minga Mbweck Kongo is a Social and urban Water Consultant, He can be reached via email kongmbweck@gmail.com