Di Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) don suspend di export of cobalt as dem wan try stop di price wey dey fall, but analysts dey warn say di ban fit carry risk. Di government tok say di four-month ban wey dem announce for cobalt export – wey be key material for electric car battery – na to balance di market sake of di oversupply wey dey for di international market.

For 2024, DRC produce 76 percent of di world cobalt, according to di US Geological Survey, but for di last three years, cobalt price don drop by 75 percent – di lowest level for eight years. Robert Searle, wey be analyst for Fastmarkets, one raw material price agency, warn say di ban fit get "serious risk."

Supply disruption dey one of di wahala. "Chinese companies don invest billions of dollars for DRC mining industry, but dis kain ban wey dem no expect fit slow down di investment wey dem dey plan for di country," Searle tok give AFP.

E still add say, "higher cobalt price and di supply wahala fit make dem begin use cobalt-free batteries or reduce di amount of cobalt wey dem dey use for di future." Electric car battery makers, especially Chinese companies, don dey show interest for cobalt-free lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. Even though dem no dey efficient like di one wey get cobalt, dem dey cheaper.

Di export ban don dey show small result as cobalt price don dey rise, especially for di Chinese market. But di companies wey dey DRC dey tok say di cobalt wey dem get no go reach cover di four-month ban. If dem no see another supplier, di price fit jump well-well by di second quarter, according to Searle.

Di importance of cobalt to DRC economy no be small. For di last two years, di supply of cobalt from DRC don increase, especially from Chinese company CMOC, wey be one of di biggest cobalt producers for di world. Di company dey operate two of di biggest mines for DRC.

Searle tok say di oversupply for di cobalt market na because of di increase for mining activity for DRC. Since cobalt na by-product of copper, di high price of copper don make dem mine more cobalt join. Analysts dey tok say na wetin cause di oversupply.

Even though DRC get plenty mineral wealth, World Bank tok say almost three-quarter of di population dey live on top less than $2.15 per day for 2024. For 2023, di mining sector contribute over 70 percent of di country economic growth. But di sector still dey face wahala like smuggling, criminal network, and corruption.

Cobalt dey mostly come from mines for southeastern Katanga province, wey dey about 1,000 kilometers from di conflict for di eastern region. But di supply chain no clean as e dey involve "organised crime," according to Oluwole Ojewale, wey dey research crime for Africa. E tok say illegal mining, smuggling, and collusion between miners, criminal gangs, and government officials dey affect di extraction and trade.

For 2019, di Congolese government create ARECOMS to regulate artisanal mining, ban child labour, and do environmental study. But rights groups still dey complain say corruption and bad working condition, especially for children, dey affect di artisanal mines.

Di government also give public company EGC monopoly for di sale of artisanal and semi-industrial cobalt for 2019. Dem extend di monopoly for February, but e never really work. Ojewale tok say di government no get di capacity to monitor di mining rules well, so companies dey do anyhow. E also hard to know di exact amount of cobalt wey artisanal mining dey produce, but Searle estimate say e don drop to between three to five percent of total production for 2024.