Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

• Country summary
Permits
• Exploration programme
• Exploration results

Country summary

General information

DRC, a Belgian colony until 1960, emerged from civil and regional war to a negotiated peace, a new constitution and rule by a directly elected president, Joseph Kabila.

Government organisation

Government and multilateral agency efforts to improve the framework for foreign investment, coupled with unprecedented demand for commodities, has unleashed substantial investment, most notably in the mining sector.

Mining industry

A new mining code, initiated by President Kabila and developed in conjunction with the World Bank, gives exclusive prospecting rights for five years, renewable twice. The code guarantees holders unlimited access to explore and develop their properties under a transparent and efficient permitting system. Once payable minerals have been found, the holder can apply for a permit of exploitation.

In April 2007, DRC Commission for the Review of Mining Contracts was instituted to review contracts agreed to prior to the new mining code. The review process began in June 2007, focusing on state-private joint ventures. In all, 60 contracts were examined. The review does not affect TransAfrika; its DRC permits were all issued under the new mining code and are therefore not subject to review.

Trasnafrika permit areas