A recent study indicates that between 2,000 and 5,000 tonnes of natural uranium may have been exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2000 and 2024. The findings suggest this material was shipped as a byproduct of the country's massive cobalt industry, with less than 10% of the uranium officially declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The research highlights a geological reality in the DRC's Copperbelt region, where cobalt and uranium deposits often occur in close proximity. Because the two elements share similar chemical behaviors during processing, uranium is frequently retained in cobalt-hydroxide shipments. According to the study, most of these exports are destined for China, which currently leads the global cobalt market.

The researchers estimate that the volume of unreported uranium could theoretically be processed into enough material for 600 to 1,500 nuclear weapons. Even if standard uranium removal techniques were applied, the scale of the DRC's cobalt production—which exceeded 200,000 tonnes in 2024—could still result in enough uranium reaching international markets to produce roughly 12 nuclear weapons annually.

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Beyond global security concerns, the study points to significant environmental and health risks. An estimated 1,000 to 4,000 tonnes of uranium have been discarded in mining tailings, posing potential exposure risks to local communities and mine workers. The authors of the study recommend that independent agencies begin systematic testing of cobalt shipments and that authorities implement stricter policies for uranium removal and waste disposal.

In response to the publication of these findings in July 2026, the DRC government initiated an investigation to test outgoing cobalt exports for uranium content and began consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Source: The Conversation