DRC Moves to Reclaim Colonial-Era Geological Records From Belgium

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking a major step toward reclaiming control over its natural resources after reaching an agreement with Belgium to digitize and transfer millions of colonial-era geological records.

The archives, collected during Belgium's colonial rule between 1885 and 1960, contain valuable information on deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, lithium, tin and other strategic minerals across the DRC.

For decades, these records remained stored at Belgium's AfricaMuseum near Brussels, covering nearly 500 metres of shelving with maps, drilling logs, survey reports, aerial photographs and geological studies.

Under the new partnership:

▪️ Belgium will digitize the archives.

▪️ Digital copies will be progressively transferred to Congolese authorities.

▪️ A joint task force will oversee the restitution process.

DRC officials say access to the data will strengthen the country's geoscientific sovereignty, improve mineral exploration, attract responsible investment and help ensure Congolese resources generate greater benefits for the nation.

The agreement comes as global demand for critical minerals continues to grow amid the transition to clean energy technologies.