By Badylon Kawanda Bakiman
KIKWIT, DRC – The mineral wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains one of the country’s greatest strengths, but also one of the major drivers of the prolonged conflict in its eastern region, according to Professor De Gaule Mayungu, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Kikwit (UNIKIK).
Speaking during the launch of his new book, The Geopolitics of Minerals in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Professor Mayungu emphasized the strategic importance of the country’s vast mineral reserves and their influence on global geopolitics.
“The DRC possesses 54 of the 56 most widely traded strategic minerals on the global market,” he said. “These resources constitute what many describe as a geological scandal and a potential source of power not only for Africa but for the entire world.”
The book launch, held at the prestigious Muzito Hall in Kikwit, attracted religious leaders, academics, students, members of the scientific community, and distinguished guests eager to engage in discussions surrounding one of the most critical issues facing the DRC.
Professor Mayungu argued that the country’s immense mineral wealth—including cobalt, copper, coltan, lithium, gold, diamonds, uranium, tin, and tungsten—has made it a focal point of international interest and competition.
“This is why major powers, including the United States, continue to pursue economic agreements involving our country’s mineral resources,” he noted.
However, Mayungu stressed that the problem is not the existence of these resources themselves but rather the manner in which they have been governed over the years.
“The governance of these resources has played a decisive role in the political history of the DRC and in the armed conflicts that have shaken the country,” he said. “The war in eastern DRC should serve as a wake-up call for all Congolese, especially considering the immense wealth our nation possesses.”
According to the professor, his book adopts geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geostrategic approaches to examine the relationship between armed groups operating in eastern DRC and illicit mineral exploitation.
“Today, according to United Nations reports, there are approximately 122 armed groups operating in eastern DRC,” he said. “Almost every armed group is active around a mining site.”
The publication seeks to provide a deeper understanding of how competition for mineral resources has fueled decades of instability while offering insights into the broader geopolitical interests surrounding the region.
The work received praise from the university leadership, with UNIKIK Rector Professor Alphonse Kapumba commending the author for tackling a sensitive and complex issue.
“This work comes at a time when many narratives seek to explain the crisis in Congo,” Professor Kapumba said. “Professor Mayungu has sought to clarify the real issues behind this war. He has had the courage to address a problem involving powerful interests—from multinational corporations and transnational actors to other hidden forces that have shaped the country’s destiny for decades.”
Professor Mayungu used the occasion to thank Professor Tshulumbay, who sponsored the publication; Professor Ngila Moke, who wrote the foreword; Editions Grands Lacs, his publisher; and the UNIKIK administration for supporting the project.
As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise—particularly for technologies linked to clean energy, electric vehicles, and digital industries—the DRC remains at the center of conversations about resource governance, economic sovereignty, and peacebuilding in Africa.
The book, The Geopolitics of Minerals in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adds a new scholarly perspective to the ongoing debate over how the DRC can transform its vast mineral wealth from a source of conflict into a driver of sustainable development and national prosperity.
