The Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), France's national geological service, intends to support the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in mapping and certifying its mineral resources. This is information made public on Saturday 4 last by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, following a discussion with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who is visiting Kinshasa.

The immense need for metals to succeed in the energy transition makes the DRC, rich in copper, cobalt and lithium in particular, a very popular country. France is already behind countries like China or the USA, if it does not intend to stay behind in this race. Although the Congolese mining sector has aroused envy since the colonial era, it is more than ever at the centre of the interests of several countries that appear to be better armed than Paris.

The USA is also trying to win favor with Kinshasa by being one of the first countries to directly denounce Rwandan involvement in the armed conflict in eastern DRC, while Paris is accused of playing a balancing act between Kagame and Tshisekedi.