In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese and Belgian researchers are combining their expertise to address strategic challenges related to the exploitation of natural resources. This academic cooperation is producing tangible results that benefit local populations and support regional stability.
The DRC holds 80% of Africa’s coltan, primarily located in the South and North Kivu provinces. In addition, it boasts abundant resources from its forests, land, and water. Yet, far from benefiting local populations, this wealth has fueled decades of instability, armed conflict, and social inequality, deeply affecting the entire Great Lakes region.
Turning Natural Resources into a Driver of Development
To reverse this dynamic, investment in research, education, science, and governance is essential. With support from the DGD, ARES is backing two projects carried out between Belgian and Congolese higher education institutions, working closely with civil society in both countries. The goal: to turn natural resources into a lever for sustainable progress.
Le creuseur utilise un marteau pour concasser des minerais en vue d’éliminer la partie stérile (Photo: Lambin – Mugumaoderha)
(Photo: Lambin – Mugumaoderha)These partnerships have already achieved the following:
- Improved scientific knowledge of coltan, doubling its market value to benefit local communities and the Congolese state;
- Strengthened the economic autonomy of women and youth;
- Protected the rights of Indigenous peoples, countering resource grabbing and social inequality;
- Supported social and political transformation by giving a voice to the most vulnerable populations.
Cooperation with Tangible and Lasting Impacts
Photo : Angaza InstituteAt the intersection of academic, civic, and political spheres, these partnerships are generating concrete results on multiple levels:
➤ Academic impact:
- Training Congolese scientists capable of adding national value to their resources;
- Emergence of a Congolese research hub recognized internationally;
- Reinforcement of Congolese scientific identity and pride;
- Enriching ethical and methodological exchanges for the Belgian and European academic communities;
- New research perspectives for Belgium, inspired by Congolese innovation in challenging contexts;
- Creation of sustainable networks that foster dialogue and understanding in times of crisis.
➤ Economic impact:
- Development of a more inclusive value chain around minerals, directly benefiting local communities.
➤ Governance impact:
- Enhanced Congolese control over natural resources;
- Strengthening compliance with the Mining Code, both nationally and internationally.
➤ Political and diplomatic impact:
- Maintenance of open communication channels conducive to peacebuilding, stability, and sustainable development initiatives.
An Equal Partnership for Shared Innovation
The cooperation model promoted by ARES, VLIR-UOS, and IMT is built on a strong principle: a balanced strategic partnership between the Belgian and Congolese academic communities. It is the diversity of knowledge, contexts, and perspectives that drives research forward—and with it, the world.
From Goma to Bukavu, the research projects led respectively by An Ansoms and Emery Mushagalusa Mudinga, and by Philippe Lambin and Mac Cubaka Mugumaoderha, engage the following partners:
- UNamur
- UCLouvain
- Institut supérieur de développement rural de Bukavu (ISDR-BUKAVU)
- UMONS
- Centre de Recherche et d’Expertise en Genre et Développement (CREGED)
- Centre de Recherche et d’Analyse des Conflits et de la Gouvernance
- ULiège
- Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu (I.S.P./Bukavu)
- Université Catholique de Bukavu (UCB)
Watch the video testimony of Mac Mugumaoderha (PSI – Bukavu)
The research conducted by Professors Lambin and Mugumaoderha now makes it possible to analyse the metal content of minerals and determine their fair market value. In this testimony, Mac Mugumaoderha explains how the mining sector must evolve to ease tensions generated by all strategic minerals in eastern DR Congo.
Watch the video testimony of An Ansoms (UCLouvain)
An Ansoms shares her vision of academic partnerships and the importance of including locally rooted knowledge in research and innovative methodologies developed in challenging research contexts. She is also delighted to see the progress of a research hub in the Democratic Republic of Congo that is attracting the attention of the international academic community.
