The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is pursuing the digitization of colonial-era geological archives held at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, Belgium. Kinshasa intends to use these records—spanning 500 meters of maps, mining files, and field notes—to identify unexplored deposits, attract investors and strengthen its control over a mining sector tied to mineral resources estimated at $24 trillion by the U.S. International Trade Administration.
Why is the DRC seeking colonial-era geological records?
The files could help Kinshasa strengthen its control over a mining sector. These records document one of the world’s richest mineral belts, containing data on copper, cobalt, coltan, lithium and other minerals. According to Francois Kervyn, the museum geologist leading the project, the documents represent “an enormous amount of work” by people who “devoted a large part of their lives to field observations” in regions they travelled to that were “completely unexplored.”
The AfricaMuseum’s collection includes nearly 500 metres of records, ranging from century-old maps to mining files, survey reports and field notes.
How does the archive impact current mining investments?
For the DRC, the archive could improve its bargaining power in a mining sector still shaped by foreign capital. The push for digitization gained fresh momentum after U.S. company KoBold Metals entered the conversation around the archive. The AfricaMuseum rejected an offer from KoBold Metals to digitise the records, with director general Bart Ouvry stating that granting a monopoly to a company for several years seemed “tricky.”
Following the museum’s refusal, KoBold Metals shifted its strategy, entering a “strategic partnership” with the Congolese government to digitize records held at Lubumbashi University. Benjamin Katabuka, head of KoBold Metals in the DRC, confirmed that the project has already digitized approximately 170,000 pages, allowing investors to access scan data in under a minute.
What is the current status of the Belgium-DRC roadmap?
Following meetings between Congolese Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba and European Union officials, both nations have agreed to establish a joint task force to oversee the digitization and potential restitution of the records. A spokesperson for the Congolese mining ministry stated that the government views this as a necessity to “accelerate the discovery of new mineral deposits” in vast, under-explored regions of the country.
Comparison: Data Access Strategies
| Entity | Approach to Archives |
|---|---|
| AfricaMuseum (Belgium) | Maintains physical records; rejects private monopolies on data. |
| KoBold Metals (U.S.) | Digitizing local Congolese archives to speed up investor access. |
How is the DRC managing its strategic mineral reserves?
The effort to reclaim historical data coincides with a tightening of state control over cobalt production. According to a regulatory notice from the strategic minerals regulator ARECOMS, the DRC has implemented export quotas for 2025 and 2026. This includes a 10 percent strategic reserve requirement. Any export rights left unused by mid-2026 will be confiscated by the government and moved into a state-controlled “strategic quota,” reflecting a broader effort to reduce reliance on foreign-dominated supply chains.
When researching mineral market trends in the DRC, monitor updates from ARECOMS, the national regulator for strategic minerals, for the most accurate information on export quotas and policy shifts.
FAQ
- Why are these old maps valuable today? They provide baseline data for mineral-rich areas that remain under-explored, helping to identify deposits of critical minerals like lithium and cobalt.
- Who currently holds the colonial archives? The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, outside Brussels, houses the majority of the records.
- Is the U.S. involved in this process? Yes, U.S.-based KoBold Metals is currently digitizing separate mining records at Lubumbashi University to facilitate investment.
What are your thoughts on the role of historical data in modern resource management? Join the conversation in the comments below or subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on global mineral supply chains.
