The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced the creation of a new paramilitary force dedicated to securing its vast mineral wealth, with $100 million in backing from the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM), the state body overseeing mineral extraction, described the new unit as a "paramilitary special unit intended to secure the entire mineral exploitation chain" — from mine sites to the transport of raw materials to processing facilities and border crossings.
The force, to be known as the Garde Minière (Mining Guard), will be built up in stages. An initial contingent of 2,500 to 3,000 personnel is expected to be operational by December this year following six months of military-style training, with recruitment set to open next month. The unit will eventually expand to more than 20,000 personnel deployed across 22 of Congo's mining provinces by the end of 2028. Notably, it will be established under the direct authority of President Félix Tshisekedi's personal military staff and equipped with what the IGM describes as "the latest equipment." Its mandate is to progressively replace conventional army units and police currently stationed at mining sites — a significant signal, given that some military officers have been implicated in illegal mining operations.
The initiative is closely tied to a broader realignment of Congo's resource sector toward Western partners. Kinshasa signed a strategic minerals partnership with Washington in late 2025 granting US investors priority access to strategic deposits, and a separate agreement with the UAE in early 2026 under which Emirati firms committed to $10 billion in Congolese investments by 2030. Those deals include UAE mining holding IRH acquiring a majority stake in Congo's largest tin mine, Bisie, as well as interests in copper mines in the Katanga region in the south. Dubai's port operator DP World is also set to develop the Atlantic port of Banana near the mouth of the Congo River, aiming to give Kinshasa a direct maritime export route for its minerals — currently shipped overland through neighbouring countries.
The DRC, a country of roughly 100 million people in central Africa, produces around 70% of global cobalt output and holds enormous reserves of copper, coltan and lithium — materials critical to electric batteries and defence technology. Chinese firms currently dominate the industrial mining sector. Washington's support for the new guard is widely seen as part of a strategy to reduce Beijing's grip on critical mineral supply chains. The announcement comes against a backdrop of ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continue to fight government forces despite a peace accord signed in December, and where some Western companies have expressed interest in assets located in rebel-held territory.
The creation of a well-funded, presidentially controlled security unit placed in direct competition with both the army and the existing mine police raises questions about governance. Critics note that the UAE, one of the initiative's main backers, has also been the primary arms supplier to Sudan's RSF paramilitary — a force accused of severe human rights abuses — and that Dubai has long been a hub for gold smuggled out of conflict zones including Congo itself. The IGM, for its part, framed the new guard as an instrument of reform, saying President Tshisekedi aims to "clean up the entire mining sector by eliminating practices that run counter to good governance, transparency and the traceability of minerals."