• The government ordered the creation of a joint expert commission to tighten environmental oversight in the mining sector.
• Authorities identified “serious breaches” by several mining companies and structural failures in control mechanisms in Lualaba and Haut-Katanga.
• The initiative supports DR Congo’s commitments to the International Monetary Fund under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility program launched in 2025.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's government announced the new measures following the Council of Ministers meeting on Feb. 27, 2026.

Authorities instructed the ministers of Environment and Mines to establish “a joint commission composed of their experts in order to propose, as quickly as possible, a more effective mechanism capable of strengthening coordination and ensuring the coherence of actions carried out by the various monitoring mechanisms,” according to the official report.

The government designed the initiative to improve coordination between supervisory bodies and strengthen enforcement of environmental regulations in mining operations.

Authorities launched the initiative after inspection teams identified environmental compliance failures in key mining regions.

Inspection teams recently deployed to Lualaba and Haut-Katanga reported “serious breaches” within several mining companies, according to the government report.

Inspectors also identified “structural dysfunctions” within the monitoring system, which involved the responsibility of technical services participating in the supervisory chain.

These findings prompted authorities to review existing control mechanisms and strengthen environmental monitoring across the mining sector.

The government launched the initiative as part of commitments made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) included in the country’s three-year program launched in 2025.

An IMF report published in January 2026 said the government must “strengthen environmental and social safeguards in the mining sector in order to actively manage its impact on forests and the most vulnerable populations.”

Authorities plan several measures to meet these commitments.

The measures include strengthening the legal framework, publishing environmental and social impact studies, and conducting ex-post environmental audits of mining projects.

Earlier this year, the government requested additional guarantees from mining companies.

On Jan. 30, 2026, the Ministry of Mines asked mining companies to submit proof of financial guarantees dedicated to the environmental rehabilitation of their projects.

Authorities required companies to submit the documents no later than Feb. 16, 2026. However, that deadline has now expired, and authorities have not yet confirmed whether all companies complied with the requirement.

Boaz Kabeya (Bankable)