who owns cobalt in DRC?

How far will the tussle between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the multinationals that exploit the rich mineral deposits go?

Cobalt, germanium and colombo-tantalite are now classified as strategic minerals in the DRC. According to a decree signed by Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala and Minister of Mines Martin Kabwelulu on 24 November and made public on Monday.

This action is in line with the new mining code adopted at the beginning of the year and already in force. It plans to surcharge strategic ores, thus the royalty rate for cobalt and coltan is expected to increase from 3.5% to 10%.

Like Areva, which mines uranium in Niger, the multinationals that manage minerals in the DRC are raising concerns.