The Democratic Republic of Congo pushed Belgium to hand over millions of colonial‑era geological records held at the Royal Museum for Central Africa. Minister Louis Watum Kabamba met Brussels and EU officials to demand digitisation of the data, arguing that access would speed discovery of critical minerals. The move underscores Africa’s push to reduce reliance on China.

KoBold Metals, backed by Bill Gates, struck a deal last year to digitise the papers but has yet to access them. Belgian officials refuse exclusive rights to a US start‑up, citing EU rules. The dispute reignites tensions over Belgium’s colonial legacy and signals a race for resources as firms turn to AI for exploration.

The Congolese ministry said the project would boost geoscientific sovereignty and make its mining sector more competitive. EU funds back the digitisation, with digital copies gradually sent to Congolese authorities. Companies worldwide, from BHP to RadiXplore, already use historic data to target copper and other critical metals in Africa.

China Railway Group, a state‑owned conglomerate, uses the museum’s records for copper projects in Kasaï, while French miner Eramet partners with Lithosquare and the national geological service to deploy AI for new deposit searches. BHP’s collaboration with South Africa’s Council for Geoscience and its Xplor grant further illustrate the sector’s pivot toward data‑driven discovery.