• ERG signed an MoU with EGC to supervise artisanal cobalt mining.
• EGC holds a state-backed monopoly on buying and exporting artisanal cobalt.
• Exports may route through the Lobito corridor under new trade rules.

Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), 40% owned by the Kazakh government, signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 10 with the Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) to strengthen the supervision of artisanal cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Backed by a state-granted monopoly over the artisanal cobalt value chain, EGC has been expanding partnerships with European players to better structure the segment from production to export.

Established in 2019 by the Congolese government, EGC is in principle the only company authorized to buy, process and export cobalt produced by artisanal miners, who historically account for between 15% and 30% of national output. Operational, administrative and financial constraints, however, limited the company’s effectiveness for several years.

Responsible supply push

The introduction of export quotas in October 2025, following an earlier embargo, gave the company renewed momentum. With 1,775 tons allocated for 2025 and 5,640 tons for 2026 and 2027, EGC holds the fifth-largest export volume among mining operators in the country.

In November 2025, it announced the production of 1,000 tons of fully traceable artisanal cobalt, a first for the segment. Long associated with human rights concerns, artisanal cobalt is now being marketed by EGC as “clean, profitable and aligned with international ESG standards.”

The MoU with ERG fits into that strategy. Signed on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, the agreement covers a pilot project on a concession owned by ERG’s local subsidiary. EGC will oversee cobalt extraction by artisanal miners on the site, with the aim of improving working conditions and ensuring compliance with national and international standards.

“By regulating and supervising artisanal mining on a defined site, we can ensure responsible operations that comply with both national and international standards, with the aim of developing a replicable, long-term model,” said Eric Kalala, EGC’s chief executive.

Exports via Lobito

To market cobalt produced on sites under its control, EGC has partnered with Swiss trading houses Mercuria and Trafigura. Earlier this week, Mercuria announced its first copper and cobalt transaction with the Congolese company, without disclosing volumes. Trafigura, for its part, confirmed an agreement covering an initial shipment of both metals to global markets via the Lobito corridor.

Mercuria did not specify whether the rail corridor — which links Congolese mines to international markets through Angola’s port of Lobito — would be used for its exports. Under a December 2025 partnership agreement between the DRC and the United States, 50% of copper and 30% of cobalt marketed by Congolese state-owned companies are expected to transit through the Lobito corridor over the next five years. The corridor is operated by a consortium controlled by Trafigura, Portugal’s Mota-Engil and Belgium’s Vecturis.

“We are delighted to be working with EGC to facilitate responsibly sourced shipments of copper and cobalt to global markets via the most efficient transport route from the DRC Copperbelt,” said Franck Rogozin, Trafigura’s head of metals and minerals for Africa.

With structured partnerships in place and visible interest from international markets, EGC now appears better positioned to fulfill its mandate. The challenge will be to scale the model across additional sites and integrate the country’s broader artisanal mining base under its supervision.

Emiliano Tossou