By William Muyuku
Toronto | March 6, 2026
Louis Watum Kabamba, DRC’s Minister of Mines, commanded attention at PDAC 2026 (March 1-4, Toronto), positioning his country as a mining powerhouse through targeted outreach to investors. In the “Spotlight on DRC” session and Mine-Africa Breakfast, he highlighted production resilience over 3 million tonnes of copper annually, cobalt prices surging to $55,000/tonne despite eastern security issues.
Key projects underscored DRC’s shift to value addition: Q2 lithium startup in Tanganyika, first gold refinery there, and the $29 billion MIFOR iron ore corridor linking east to southwest. Watum reaffirmed US partnerships as open frameworks benefiting all, including Canada, while praising expansions by Glencore, CMOC, and Ivanhoe Mines. Reforms like governance, tax stability, digitalization, and special economic zones aim to attract capital.
Watum spotlighted Lualaba Province’s dynamism, visiting its PDAC stand alongside the Ministry’s booth on March 2. A provincial representative joined him at the International Ministers’ Summit, emphasizing Lualaba’s role as a key producer.
Watum’s promotional skill stood out: “La RDC est désormais un acteur incontournable… offrant un environnement sûr et porteur pour les investisseurs.” He urged moving beyond extraction: “Nous devons inverser la tendance d’un modèle économique qui nous condamnait à exporter nos richesses brutes.” Exclusive AfriCanada Stream interview reinforced openness: “Canada is not excluded… come knock on our doors.”
MineAfrica Inc. and the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business deserve credit for stellar organization. Their 27th Annual African Mining Breakfast (March 3, Sheraton Centre, sold-out at 630 attendees) and 24th Investing in African Mining Seminar featured Watum’s opening address, country spotlights, and networking for 500+. As strategic partners since 2002, they organized the MineAfrica Pavilion at PDAC Trade Show, drawing exhibitors and boosting Canada-Africa mining ties via missions and forums.
Discover More on AfriCanada Stream
Watum’s PDAC presence signals DRC’s maturity, blending ambition with realism to draw Canadian expertise in exploration and training. Visit our platforms for exclusive interviews, participant reactions, and full PDAC coverage.
Exclusive: AfriCanada Stream Interview with Minister Watum
From the DRC and US critical minerals deal to making Congo a true global powerhouse in value-added mining, via Canada-DRC partnerships in exploration and training, the Mining Minister of DRC, Louis Watum, responds to questions from William Muyuku in Toronto.
@PDAC1 (PDAC official), @MineAfrica (MineAfrica Inc.), @CanadaAfricaCC (Canada-Africa Chamber), @MinisteresMinesRDC (Ministère des Mines RDC), #RDC_MINES
