Deep in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, thousands of miles from global decision-making centers, a silent battle is shaping the future of electric mobility and the energy transition. Cobalt, a silvery metal essential for lithium-ion batteries that power everything from smartphones to electric cars, has become the new gold of the 21st century. But its extraction—more than 70% concentrated in this African nation—poses economic, social and geopolitical dilemmas that no government or company can ignore.
The Democratic Republic of Congo produces roughly 70% of the world's cobalt, yet over 20% of that output comes from unregulated artisanal mines.
A critical mineral, an uncomfortable dependency
Cobalt is not just a technical component; it is a strategic link in the supply chain of electromobility and renewable energy storage. Without it, manufacturing high-performance batteries becomes more expensive or unfeasible at current scales. Countries like China, which dominates cobalt refining, have woven a network of deals with Kinshasa to secure priority access. The United States and the European Union, meanwhile, are trying to diversify sources and reduce dependence on a single country, but alternatives—Australia, Canada, or recycling—are still far from meeting projected demand by 2030.
Artisanal mining: the human face of the conflict
Beyond large industrial concessions, tens of thousands of artisanal miners work by hand, often in dangerous conditions and without labor protection. In provinces like Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, manual cobalt extraction is the sole income source for entire families. Yet this unregulated activity feeds an opaque economy where child labor, fatal accidents, and conflicts over deposit control are common. International organizations and NGOs have reported that some of this mineral ends up in the supply chains of major tech companies, despite traceability efforts.
Key context
In 2025, the European Union approved the conflict minerals regulation, requiring importers to prove their cobalt does not fund armed groups. However, implementation in the DRC remains fragmented.
Corporate and government responses
Faced with regulatory and consumer pressure, major battery and automobile manufacturers have begun signing direct agreements with certified mining cooperatives, seeking full traceability. Tesla, Volkswagen and BYD have announced investments in refining plants outside China, and some startups are developing low-cobalt or cobalt-free batteries, such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP). But LFP technology, while cheaper and more ethical, offers lower energy density, limiting its use in long-range vehicles. The transition will not be quick or easy.
Towards a new mining order?
The cobalt case illustrates a paradox of the energy transition: to decarbonize transport, we need minerals whose extraction causes severe social and environmental impacts in producing countries. The DRC, rich in resources, remains one of the world's poorest nations, with a life expectancy of barely 60 years. Breaking that cycle requires not only more investment in traceability and formalization, but also a shift in global governance of critical minerals. The question hanging over the mines of Kolwezi is whether the green world we build will be fairer than the gray one we leave behind.
What does this mean for the world?
The competition for cobalt is reshaping geopolitical alliances, accelerating research into new battery chemistries, and putting the real price of the energy transition on the table. For consumers, it means possible short-term increases in electric vehicle costs; for investors, opportunities in recycling and responsible mining; and for governments, the urgency of creating a multilateral framework to prevent green mineral demand from reproducing old exploitation dynamics. The cobalt war is not fought with missiles, but its consequences will be as decisive as any armed conflict.