KINSHASA, Feb 19 – The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed a deal allowing its state mining company, Gecamines, to market copper from a major Glencore-linked operation.
Gecamines will market about half of the output from Kamoto Copper Company for at least two years and the company will then retain rights to sell 30 percent of production after that period.
The agreement was signed last week in Cape Town. It follows similar deals between Gecamines and other mining operations where the state company holds minority stakes.
Kamoto Copper Company is controlled by a subsidiary of Glencore Plc. However, the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Gecamines may sell the copper through its partnership with Mercuria Energy Group Ltd., which provides financial and logistical support to its trading operations, the sources said.
Congo produced about 3.5 million metric tons of copper in 2025, according to industry data as the country ranks as the world’s second largest copper producer after Chile.
Chinese-controlled projects accounted for more than 80 percent of Congo’s copper output last year with Glencore’s Kamoto and Mutanda mines remaining among the largest Western-linked operations in the country.
The deal adds to a series of agreements involving Gecamines and copper producers in the country.
