The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed a geological data partnership with the European Union under the PanAfGeo+ Invest programme, aimed at strengthening geoscientific capacity and improving subsurface data management. The agreement, signed in Kinshasa, will support the consolidation of national geological databases, preservation of historical archives, and new surveys across key mining regions to enhance investment decision-making.
Under the programme, the EU plans to invest €45 million across seven African countries between 2026 and 2029, with the DRC receiving nearly €11 million. The initiative builds on earlier efforts that trained thousands of African geoscientists and seeks to deepen technical expertise while improving knowledge of mineral resources, particularly in artisanal mining zones.
The partnership also strengthens the EU’s strategic positioning in the global competition for critical minerals. Additional funding will support digitisation of geological archives, although overlapping interests with other international partners highlight growing geopolitical and commercial competition over access to Congo’s mineral data and resources.
