Kolwezi, a small city in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, may appear unremarkable, but it plays a pivotal role in global resource extraction. Surrounded by slag heaps, pits, and quarry lakes, the city is home to some of the world’s largest copper and cobalt mines.
Now, Kolwezi is at the center of intensifying competition between the U.S. and China for control of critical minerals. This competition is particularly focused on cobalt, which is vital for electric vehicle batteries and other technologies. Recently, mining companies began shipping ore along a U.S.-backed railway to the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola. This infrastructure project is seen as a countermeasure to China’s dominance over Central Africa’s critical mineral resources. U.S. President Biden is expected to visit Lobito to promote the Lobito Corridor, a strategic initiative that is backed by the U.S., European Union, G7 and private companies, which are investing billions of dollars into the project.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway, which stretches over 800 miles, significantly reduces transportation time for copper and cobalt exports from Congo’s mining region. It also provides better access to the Atlantic Ocean, positioning Lobito closer to the U.S. and Europe than other major African ports. The completed rail line will also extend into copper-rich Zambia. However, Congo remains the central focus of the global race for minerals, particularly in Kolwezi, where the richest deposits of cobalt and copper are concentrated. Congo produces more than 70% of the world’s cobalt and is the second-largest copper producer.
Despite the U.S. efforts to increase its involvement in critical minerals, China continues to dominate in Congo, owning over 80% of the country’s copper mines and maintaining a significant stake in cobalt extraction. Through its Belt and Road Initiative, China has invested heavily in infrastructure, ports, and railways across Africa. In Kolwezi, the Chinese presence is omnipresent, from billboards to Chinese-run casinos.
Although the U.S. is pushing for greater influence with the Lobito railway, experts remain skeptical of its ability to rival China’s established presence. As Christian Geraud Neema, a China-Africa analyst, points out, “It’s just a railway, nothing more,” emphasizing that the U.S. lacks its own companies operating on the ground in Congo. The railway is not expected to disrupt Chinese industry, as Chinese companies are free to ship ore via Lobito as well.
U.S. officials argue that the Lobito Corridor is a development project that will benefit countries like Congo, Angola, and Zambia. However, Congo’s notoriously corrupt environment remains a challenge, ranking 162 out of 180 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
In Kolwezi, many of the city’s inhabitants rely on rudimentary mining methods, using basic tools like spades and plastic buckets to extract ore. Marie Banza Ngoy, a 60-year-old miner, explains the hardship of her work, earning only $2 for an entire day of labor. Despite the struggles of local miners, the city’s critical mineral trade is largely controlled by Chinese traders, who buy the ore from Congolese middlemen.
