On July 14, 2026, the chamber of the UN Security Council resonated with the words of Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, who reminded that Africa's underground wealth is no longer just a source of revenue but a fuel for deadly conflicts.
Seizing the Security Council presidency, the Democratic Republic of Congo placed a sensitive issue at the forefront: the direct link between natural resource exploitation and the perpetuation of armed violence. This intervention is not incidental; it reflects Kinshasa's desire to turn its presidency into a lever for action on a continent too often destabilized by illicit mineral trade.
During a Security Council meeting on January 26, 2025, Minister Kayikwamba Wagner emphasized that the goal was not to create new international obligations, but to better coordinate existing mechanisms for traceability, sanctions and natural‑resource governance. She clarified that the aim was neither to establish a global mining code nor to rewrite existing rules, but to plug their gaps.
The current framework relies on instruments such as the Due Diligence Process and targeted sanctions against actors in the illicit trade. Yet the fragmentation of these measures creates blind spots where armed groups continue to extract, finance and sell minerals, feeding a spiral of violence that extends beyond Congo's borders.
Debates in New York quickly highlighted deep divisions among major powers. Some states advocate a strict approach, imposing rigorous controls, while others stress the sovereignty of producer countries and the need to protect their economic interests. No consensus has yet emerged, leaving the normative framework in a fragile stalemate.
For Cameroon and French‑speaking Africa, these discussions are of crucial importance. The country shares borders with mining zones where illicit flows cross frontiers, fueling local militias and jeopardizing regional security. Better traceability could curb clandestine financing, strengthen resource governance and, in the long run, support sustainable development for local communities.
The future will depend on African nations' ability to make their voices heard in international negotiations. The DRC has raised the flag of collective reflection; it now falls to regional states, regional organisations and international partners to turn these calls into binding standards, so that the continent's wealth no longer funds bloodshed but becomes the foundation of shared prosperity.
