Congo's 10 Percent Ownership Rule Is Due. The Decree Is Not.

DR CONGO · CRITICAL MINERALS

Key Facts

—The rule: Article 71 bis of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining code, added by Law No. 18/001 of 9 March 2018, requires at least 10 percent of the capital of a mining company holding an exploitation permit to be owned by Congolese nationals.

—How it splits: Article 144 bis of the mining regulation, the code’s implementing rulebook, divides that stake in two. Five percent is for the company’s Congolese employees and five percent for other Congolese individuals.

—What just happened: A moratorium, a temporary suspension of enforcement granted by the mines ministry on 30 January 2026, expired on 31 July 2026. The requirement is now live.