MBUJI-MAYI, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Kasaï-Oriental has moved closer to becoming part of a new Congolese diamond-processing value chain after the provincial government welcomed the ADEX-RDC project, an initiative designed to cut, polish and market more of the country’s diamonds from inside the DRC.
A delegation from the Mining Fund for Future Generations, known as FOMIN, presented the project to Governor Jean-Paul Mbwebwa Kapo on August 6. The delegation was led by Benoît Kazadi Kayemba, FOMIN’s director responsible for studies and portfolio management.
The meeting placed one of Congo’s most important diamond-producing provinces at the centre of a national industrialisation strategy: moving beyond the export of rough stones and building more of the diamond value chain on Congolese soil.
The next stage will assess production capacity in Kasaï-Oriental and other diamond-producing provinces. That work is intended to prepare the supply network required before ADEX-RDC is installed in Kinshasa and the provinces.
For the government, the ambition is that , Congolese diamonds should generate greater value, specialised skills, stronger producer revenues and new economic activity inside Congo.
From National Approval to Provincial Preparation
ADEX-RDC has progressed through a sequence of confirmed institutional steps.
On May 29, the Council of Ministers approved the project to create ADEX RDC SA. The official government record describes it as a joint company owned equally by FOMIN and the Swiss partner ADEX Platform AG.
The partners later signed a framework agreement, formally establishing the basis for their cooperation. The arrangement brings together Congolese resources and institutional leadership with international expertise, technology, training and access to markets.
The August 6 presentation in Mbuji-Mayi represents the provincial-preparation stage. FOMIN is now engaging local authorities and diamond-sector actors before conducting production-capacity assessments.
MINING AND MINERALS
Kasaï-Oriental Backs ADEX-RDC Diamond-Cutting Plan
Aug 7, 2026
Aug 7, 2026
13 min read
Published
Updated:
MBUJI-MAYI, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Kasaï-Oriental has moved closer to becoming part of a new Congolese diamond-processing value chain after the provincial government welcomed the ADEX-RDC project, an initiative designed to cut, polish and market more of the country’s diamonds from inside the DRC.
A delegation from the Mining Fund for Future Generations, known as FOMIN, presented the project to Governor Jean-Paul Mbwebwa Kapo on August 6. The delegation was led by Benoît Kazadi Kayemba, FOMIN’s director responsible for studies and portfolio management.
The meeting placed one of Congo’s most important diamond-producing provinces at the centre of a national industrialisation strategy: moving beyond the export of rough stones and building more of the diamond value chain on Congolese soil.
The next stage will assess production capacity in Kasaï-Oriental and other diamond-producing provinces. That work is intended to prepare the supply network required before ADEX-RDC is installed in Kinshasa and the provinces.
For the government, the ambition is that , Congolese diamonds should generate greater value, specialised skills, stronger producer revenues and new economic activity inside Congo.
From National Approval to Provincial Preparation
ADEX-RDC has progressed through a sequence of confirmed institutional steps.
On May 29, the Council of Ministers approved the project to create ADEX RDC SA. The official government record describes it as a joint company owned equally by FOMIN and the Swiss partner ADEX Platform AG.
The partners later signed a framework agreement, formally establishing the basis for their cooperation. The arrangement brings together Congolese resources and institutional leadership with international expertise, technology, training and access to markets.
The August 6 presentation in Mbuji-Mayi represents the provincial-preparation stage. FOMIN is now engaging local authorities and diamond-sector actors before conducting production-capacity assessments.
Project stage | Confirmed progress |
Government approval | The Council of Ministers adopted the ADEX-RDC project on May 29, 2026 |
Strategic partnership | FOMIN and ADEX Platform AG established an equal 50–50 partnership |
Framework agreement | Congolese and Swiss partners signed the agreement supporting ADEX-RDC |
Provincial engagement | FOMIN presented the project to Kasaï-Oriental Governor Jean-Paul Mbwebwa Kapo |
Next implementation step | Production capacity will be assessed in Kasaï-Oriental and other diamond provinces |
Operational objective | Install diamond-cutting and related activities in Kinshasa and the provinces |
This progression demonstrates coordinated action between the national government, a public mining institution, international partners and provincial authorities.
Why Cutting Diamonds Inside DR Cong is Important
A rough diamond gains value as it moves through several stages: evaluation, cutting, polishing, certification, marketing and, eventually, Jewellery production.
When most of those activities take place abroad, much of the specialised work and commercial value is also created abroad. The ADEX-RDC model is designed to internalise more of those stages so that Congolese resources can support Congolese industry.
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The proposed value chain can be understood simply:
Rough Congolese diamond → Local evaluation → Cutting and polishing in the DRC → Finished stone → Jewellery and international marketing
Keeping more of that work inside the country will create a wider economic footprint. Diamond cutters, polishers, valuers, technicians, logistics specialists, digital-platform operators, marketers and jewellery professionals can all become part of a more developed national industry.
It also aligns the diamond sector with President Félix Tshisekedi’s wider policy of transforming Congolese natural resources locally and using them to advance national industrialisation.
A 50–50 Partnership Built Around Congolese Value
The approved structure gives FOMIN and ADEX Platform AG equal ownership of ADEX RDC SA, with each partner holding 50 percent.
FOMIN represents the Congolese side of the partnership. It is a public institution established to help ensure that the country’s mineral wealth contributes to long-term national development and benefits future generations.
ADEX Platform AG brings international diamond-sector expertise. The government says the partnership is expected to support technology transfer, professional training, responsible supply chains and stronger access to international buyers.
Partner contribution | Intended role |
FOMIN and Congolese institutions | Public leadership, local infrastructure, diamond supply and national implementation |
ADEX Platform AG | Advanced technology, technical training, international clients and market expertise |
Kasaï-Oriental government | Provincial coordination and support for engagement with local diamond actors |
Diamond producers and traders | Supply-chain participation and local-sector knowledge |
This model positions the Congolese state as an active participant in the value chain while creating a pathway for local producers and professionals to connect with international technology and markets.
Producers Placed at the Centre
FOMIN’s presentation in Mbuji-Mayi placed particular emphasis on the participation of local diamond producers and traders.
According to the project team, building a reliable supply chain will depend on close cooperation with the diamantaires who extract, buy and move stones through the local market. Governor Mbwebwa Kapo said he had already held discussions with representatives of Kasaï-Oriental’s diamond sector and confirmed the provincial government’s readiness to support the initiative.
The project’s commercial vision is to help producers sell Congolese diamonds within the national market at prices aligned with international conditions.
That approach can make the diamond economy more rewarding at its source. Instead of treating producers only as suppliers of rough material, ADEX-RDC seeks to integrate them into a national system that connects production, local transformation and global marketing.
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For Kasaï-Oriental, that could mean that more of the wealth created by its diamonds circulates through local businesses, workers and communities.
Skilled Employment and Technology Transfer
The business model presented to the Council of Ministers projects approximately 30 to 40 direct local jobs within ADEX RDC SA and an additional 120 to 150 indirect jobs.
These figures are projections tied to the planned operation. They are important because diamond transformation requires specialised capabilities that can anchor a new professional ecosystem in the DRC.
The government-approved plan includes the transfer of advanced technology and skills from Switzerland. Congolese personnel could gain experience in areas such as:
diamond cutting and polishing;
gem evaluation and quality control;
machinery operation and maintenance;
traceability and responsible sourcing;
digital commerce and international marketing;
jewellery design and manufacturing.
The long-term value of that transfer extends beyond a single company. Once skills, equipment and professional standards are established locally, they can help support training programmes, suppliers, small businesses and additional downstream industries.
Building a Congolese Diamond Brand
ADEX-RDC is designed to do more than cut stones. The wider vision includes polishing, international commercialisation, a digital sales platform and the future development of jewellery made in the DRC.
That creates an opportunity for Congo to present its diamonds to the world as finished products carrying national identity, craftsmanship and traceability.
A recognisable Congolese diamond brand could connect mineral wealth with design, culture and modern industry. It could also give the country greater visibility in markets where the story, origin and responsible production of a gemstone matter alongside its physical quality.
The government’s objective is therefore both industrial and reputational: retain more value at home while positioning the DRC as a responsible and competitive participant in the international diamond market.
Kasaï-Oriental at the Heart of the Strategy
Kasaï-Oriental’s place in the project is especially significant. The province has a long diamond history, an experienced community of producers and traders, and a population eager to see mineral wealth support broader economic development.
By engaging the province before installation, FOMIN is laying the groundwork for a supply system connected to the realities of production.
The capacity assessment will help determine how Kasaï-Oriental fits into the operational network. The provincial government’s support provides an important foundation for coordination with producers and other local stakeholders.
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If implemented as planned, the model can connect Mbuji-Mayi and surrounding production areas to a national chain that transforms Congolese stones, develops professional skills and reaches international buyers.
This is the central promise of local value addition: the province does not only produce the resource; it participates more fully in the prosperity created from it.
A Practical Expression of Economic Sovereignty
The ADEX-RDC initiative reflects a broader shift in Congo’s development strategy under President Tshisekedi: the country’s natural resources should serve as a platform for domestic transformation, employment and national strength.
In the diamond sector, economic sovereignty means building the capacity to evaluate, process, brand and sell Congolese stones from Congo. It means creating skills that remain in the country, improving the position of local producers and giving the state a direct role in a higher-value segment of the industry.
The government has now moved the idea through approval, partnership and provincial engagement. The next step, assessing diamond-production capacity, will prepare the ground for installation.
For Kasaï-Oriental and the wider DRC, the direction is powerful: Congolese diamonds, transformed by Congolese hands, creating value for the Congolese economy.
Confirmed Status
Development | Status as of August 7, 2026 |
Council of Ministers approval | Completed on May 29, 2026 |
FOMIN–ADEX ownership structure | Equal 50–50 joint-company model confirmed |
Framework agreement | Signed by the Congolese and Swiss partners |
Presentation to Kasaï-Oriental | Completed on August 6, 2026 |
Provincial-government support | Publicly confirmed by Governor Jean-Paul Mbwebwa Kapo |
Production-capacity assessment | Next stage announced |
ADEX-RDC cutting operations in Kasaï-Oriental | Planned; installation and production have not yet been announced |
Employment impact | 30–40 direct and 120–150 indirect jobs projected in the approved model |
XTRAfrica Takeaway
Kasaï-Oriental’s engagement with ADEX-RDC marks another concrete step in the government’s drive to transform Congo’s mineral wealth into national industry.
The initiative brings together public leadership, international technology, provincial participation and the experience of local diamond producers. Its ambition is not simply to sell a stone, but to build the skills, jobs, market access and national brand that can grow around it.
For a country determined to retain more of the value created by its own resources, the message is clear: the future of Congolese diamonds should be shaped inside Congo.
Sources
7sur7 — Kasaï-Oriental presentation, provincial support and next-stage capacity assessment
Office of the Prime Minister — Official record of the May 29 Council of Ministers approval
Eco24 — FOMIN–ADEX Platform agreement and local-value-addition strategy
Mining Congo — Government approval, ownership model and projected employment
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