‘Corporate capture’ of critical minerals risks repeating DRC’s extractive past, warns indigenous leader
The Cobalt Institute hosted a conference in Madrid to discuss the cobalt industry, which is crucial for the green energy transition. Indigenous leader Robert Agenong’a criticized the event for exemplifying 'corporate capture' and neglecting the environmental and social impacts of mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He warned that the rush for cobalt could repeat historical extractive patterns that harm local communities while benefiting multinational corporations.
- ▪Cobalt is essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies, with the DRC producing about 70% of the world's supply.
- ▪Robert Agenong’a attended the conference to understand the positioning of multinational corporations in the DRC's critical minerals sector.
- ▪He criticized the focus on securing cobalt supplies while ignoring the environmental and social consequences for local communities.
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| Original publisher | Mongabay — News |
| Canonical URL | https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/corporate-capture-of-critical-minerals-risks-repeating-drcs-extractive-past-warns-indigenous-leader/ |
| Publication time | 22 May 2026 20:46:35 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-22T21:02:03.031Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-22T21:02:03.031Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
From May 13-15, the Cobalt Institute, a London-based organization, hosted a conference in Madrid to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the cobalt industry.Cobalt has emerged as a critical mineral in the global transition to green energy: widely used in electric vehicles, smartphones and battery technologies, about 70% of the world’s cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Robert Agenong’a, an Indigenous politician and civil society leader from Ituri Province in northeastern DRC, near the border with Uganda, attended the Madrid conference to better understand how multinational corporations are positioning themselves within the country’s rapidly expanding critical minerals sector.
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