DR Congo has opened a formal inquiry into uranium contamination of its cobalt exports, the world’s biggest producer of the battery metal.

The probe follows an academic paper in *Nature Communications* and a Financial Times report that estimated 2,000 tonnes of natural uranium had entered cobalt hydroxide exports to China between 2000 and 2024.

Officials will test cobalt hydroxide for uranium and set up a working group to assess the findings. The government will consult the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and seek a technical‑support mission. The move follows the FT and Lighthouse Reports that highlighted radioactive material in the country’s largest cobalt‑copper mines, raising worker health risks and nuclear‑safeguard concerns.

Uranium naturally occurs along DR Congo’s copper belt, but its production is banned. The IAEA notes that low‑grade uranium in cobalt exports for non‑nuclear use does not trigger reporting. Congolese authorities plan to install radiation detectors on trucks leaving the country and will publish results of a 60‑day assessment on health and environmental risks.

Despite methodological limits in the modelling study, the government stresses that coexistence of uranium and cobalt has been responsibly managed for over a century. It remains committed to non‑proliferation and safeguards obligations.