In late January, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) notified mining companies operating in the country that they must allocate 5% of their shares to local employees, according to Bloomberg. The requirement applies to Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a Kazakh mining holding company that produces copper and cobalt in the country.
The rule mandating that companies developing metal deposits reserve 5% of their capital for Congolese employees was adopted in 2018 but had not previously been enforced.
Deadline set for compliance
The DRC’s Ministry of Mines is now requesting confirmation of compliance by July 31, 2026. The directive affects some of the world’s largest mining companies operating in the country, including Glencore Plc, CMOC Group Ltd., Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Zijin Mining Group Co. and ERG, which is partially owned by the Kazakh government. The requirement is expected to apply to the stakes of local subsidiaries of these companies.
ERG’s position and recent developments
In September 2025, ERG signed a cooperation agreement with Gécamines, the DRC’s state-owned mining company. The agreement followed a prior dispute between ERG and the Congolese government over control of certain copper and cobalt deposits.
Ownership structure
ERG’s ultimate owners are Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Finance (40%), the heirs of the late Alexander Mashkevich and the Ibragimov family (20.7% each), and Patokh Chodiev (18.6%).
