KINSHASA, Nov 7 – The Democratic Republic of Congo has said Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM), a Chinese-owned mining company, remains obligated to pay $6 million in compensation to three communities affected by an industrial wastewater spill in 2025, despite recently suspending its operations.
The country’s mines ministry said on Friday that financial difficulties and the suspension of activities do not exempt the company from its obligations to affected populations.
CDM is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, one of the world’s largest battery materials producers and a key supplier to the electric vehicle industry.
Congolese authorities suspended CDM’s operations for three months after wastewater leaked from a containment basin at its Lubumbashi operation in November 2025, contaminating nearby communities. According to Reuters, the basin was designed to retain water but had been used to store acidic solutions.
Following the incident, authorities ordered the company to pay $2 million each to the three affected communities of Kasapa, Kamatete and Kamisepe, bringing the total compensation obligation to $6 million.
In its statement on Friday, the mines ministry said implementation of the compensation programme had been delayed partly because of financial difficulties cited by CDM, which recently announced a suspension of its activities.
“Financial difficulties or the suspension of operations do not exempt the operator from its obligations toward affected populations,” the ministry said.
Commitments made to local communities “must be honoured”, it added.
In addition to the community compensation, the ministry said CDM was required to pay a $6.6 million penalty to the state treasury following the incident.
Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and CDM did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case comes as Congo strengthens oversight of its mining industry, seeking to increase state revenues and enforce environmental and operational standards across a sector central to its economy.
The country is the world’s largest cobalt producer and the second-largest copper producer, supplying minerals essential to electric vehicle batteries and other industrial applications. Its regulatory approach has increasingly focused on ensuring that mining companies meet their financial, environmental and social obligations.
The ministry’s position reinforces the distinction between a company’s operational status and its outstanding liabilities, particularly obligations arising from environmental damage and commitments to communities.
