Problem of the DRC's dependence on mining products: Analysis of causes and consequences[Problématique de la dépendance de la RDC aux produits miniers : Analyse des causes et conséquences]

The DRC is one of the world's most richly resourced countries in terms of its soil and subsoil. According to research, it possesses deposits of about fifty minerals, but only a dozen of them are exploited: copper, cobalt, silver, uranium (by Areva), lead, zinc, cadmium, diamonds, gold, tin, tantalum, tungsten, manganese, and some rare metals such as coltan. The Democratic Republic of Congo also extracts diamonds from its subsoil. The country has the second-largest copper reserves in the world, with 10% of the total recorded on the planet, and, more importantly, the largest cobalt reserves (nearly 50%). This situation makes the country dependent on these mining products, as 90% of its exports are mining products, the primary source of which is copper. This dependence on mining products makes the country vulnerable to various shocks that negatively affect the DRC's exchange rate. The objective of this article is to analyze the causes and consequences of the Congolese economy's dependence on mining products. After analysis, the study concluded that this dependence is caused by the lack of diversification of the economy, which results in exchange rate fluctuations.