By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila
DAKAR, July 15 (Reuters) – An Ebola outbreak that has killed almost 800 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo is disrupting companies and negotiations linked to a major U.S.-backed minerals partnership there, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
One U.S.-backed mining company in Congo said quarantine and other restrictions have not directly affected mining operations already running under the U.S.-Congo Strategic Partnership Agreement.
But they were holding up discussions to expand the partnership — which was signed in 2025 in a bid to counter China’s own expanding investments in Congo’s vast copper and cobalt resources, a diplomat and two consultants advising on U.S. investments said.
They were also creating logistical challenges as some suppliers, consultants and investors postpone visits, and making it more difficult to bring staff in and out of the country, the U.S.-backed company said.
U.S. AND CHINA EXPANDING MINERALS DEALS IN CONGO
The Congolese government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Congo is the world’s top cobalt producer and second-largest copper supplier, with significant deposits of germanium, lithium and tantalum, making it a key source of energy-transition minerals and a focus of global competition.
The United States and China have both expanded minerals partnerships with Kinshasa to boost investment and secure access to its mineral deposits.
The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa urged Americans last week not to travel to Congo “for any reason” and warned that travellers exposed to the virus could face up to 21 days of quarantine at their own expense.
The U.S. State Department said in an emailed statement that the U.S. was working to contain the outbreak while advancing its minerals partnership with Congo, citing progress on the Lobito Corridor and Kinshasa’s commitment to facilitating U.S. investment.
A diplomatic source said the outbreak was delaying efforts to develop the U.S.-Congo minerals partnership and that some discussions had been postponed, declining to give details.
The source said a Washington meeting planned for last month to review U.S. companies’ interest in Congolese projects had been postponed, though discussions have continued elsewhere, including London.
All the sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Some investors and officials have shifted meetings to Paris and Brussels, one of the consultants said, adding that a planned July review of Congolese projects had been cancelled because key partners were unable to travel from the U.S.
The U.S.-backed mining company said travel disruptions affecting suppliers and consultants could delay project timelines.
(Reporting by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila; additional reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Andrew Heavens)
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