Strategic Brief –The Global Race for Critical Minerals: Addressing Resource-Driven Insecurity in Africa

Prepared by ASA following the United Nations Security Council Arria-formula briefing of 9 July 2025 briefing

On July 9, 2025, Sierra Leone will lead a timely and politically significant Arria-formula meeting at the United Nations under the theme:
“The Global Race for Critical Minerals: Addressing Resource-Driven Insecurity in Africa.”

Co-sponsored by Guyana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Liberia, the session will bring together a wide array of voices—UN member states, regional institutions, civil society, and private sector representatives—to confront one of the most pressing but under-acknowledged sources of insecurity on the continent: the intersection of natural wealth and political fragility.

The meeting will take place in the ECOSOC Chamber at 3:00 PM EST and will be livestreamed via UNTV. According to Sierra Leone’s concept note, the goal is to raise international awareness about the urgent connection between critical minerals and armed conflict, and to identify tangible steps for reforming how these resources are managed and governed.

Africa's Critical Minerals: Strategic Assets, Enduring Vulnerabilities

The urgency of this discussion is clear. With global demand for critical minerals expected to triple by 2030, Africa has become the new frontier in a high-stakes geopolitical race. Tantalum, tin, tungsten, and cobalt—the so-called “3Ts”—are indispensable to produce electronics, electric vehicles, semiconductors, and military technologies. The DRC alone holds over half of the world’s cobalt reserves, making it a central node in global supply chains.

But for many communities in eastern DRC and the broader Great Lakes region, these minerals have not brought prosperity. Instead, they have financed armed groups, deepened corruption, and turned mining sites into flashpoints of violence. Rather than driving development, critical minerals have often become the currency of war.

The Regional and Global Response: Gaps and Dilemmas

Speakers at the meeting include:

• Emmanuel Makumba Mali, Director for Democracy and Good Governance at the ICGLR

• Tunde Arisekola, Acting Head of the African Minerals Development Centre (African Union)

• Bojun Tang, Executive Secretary of the Kimberley Process

• Mickaël Daudin, Programme Manager at the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI)

Their remarks are expected to address the weaknesses in current governance systems. While mechanisms like the Kimberley Process, the ICGLR’s Regional Certification Mechanism, EITI, and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance have made progress, gaps in implementation, lack of enforcement, and the sophistication of smuggling networks continue to undermine traceability and accountability.

At the heart of the debate lies a central question: How can mineral extraction become a driver of peace, rather than a source of persistent instability?

Great Lakes Region in Focus: The DRC’s Mineral Paradox

While the meeting aims for continental coverage, the Great Lakes region—particularly the eastern DRC—will dominate discussions. Here, mineral-rich territories are also the most conflict-affected. Armed groups routinely extract, tax, and traffic minerals like gold, tantalum, and tungsten, destabilizing the region and financing continued insurgency.

The 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee, currently chaired by Sierra Leone, has held several informal consultations on illicit mineral flows. Its most recent expert report, submitted in May 2025, raised serious concerns over the erosion of traceability systems and the vulnerability of certification mechanisms to manipulation—allowing conflict minerals to re-enter legitimate markets undetected.

This environment not only weakens local governance but also exposes international firms to ESG risks, reputational damage, and compliance failures.

Minerals and Diplomacy: A New Geopolitical Currency

The meeting also takes place amid shifting global power dynamics. In early 2025, reports emerged that the DRC government had offered strategic mineral access to the United States in exchange for stronger support against the M23 rebel group. Following this, a US-brokered peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda was signed on 27 June 2025, aiming to establish transparent cross-border supply chains and support regional economic integration.

Washington’s increasing involvement signals a broader recalibration of mineral diplomacy—where access to resources is now directly tied to political support, peacebuilding, and influence.

In this context, the race for minerals is no longer a commercial contest—it is a strategic struggle with real consequences for sovereignty, development, and stability.

The Role of the UN and the Path Ahead

The 9 July meeting poses hard but necessary questions:

• How can UN peace operations better integrate mineral governance into their mandates?

• What role should technology, corporate due diligence, and civil society oversight play in cleaning up supply chains?

• And can multilateral coordination keep pace with the speed of geopolitical competition?

While past resolutions have condemned illegal exploitation, implementation has lagged. The challenge now is to transform condemnation into coordinated action, binding standards, and institutional reform.

Conclusion: Toward a New Resource Pact for Africa

The 9 July Arria-formula meeting is more than a technical dialogue—it is a call to reshape the foundations of mineral governance in Africa. For African governments, international partners, and global investors, the time has come to move beyond extractive logic and embrace a vision of sovereign, transparent, and inclusive resource management.

At African Security Analysis (ASA), we believe the path to peace and prosperity lies in unlocking the true potential of Africa’s mineral wealth—not through competition and secrecy, but through cooperation, legitimacy, and local benefit.

ASA works with governments, investors, and institutions across the continent to provide in-depth analysis, risk forecasting, and on-the-ground intelligence. We help partners understand the political, regulatory, and security dynamics that shape Africa’s resource frontiers—ensuring that investments are not only profitable, but also ethical and stabilizing.

We invite stakeholders who seek to build durable, responsible mineral partnerships in Africa to engage with us. The future of global supply chains is being negotiated today—in UN chambers, mining towns, and border checkpoints. ASA stands ready to be your partner in navigating this new era.

Let us move from extractive models to collaborative strategies—and ensure that Africa’s resources fuel stability, not strife. Advancing Peace, Transparency, and Strategic Governance across Africa’s Resource Frontiers.