Is China Mining Uranium from the same DRC Mine that the US mined to Bomb Japan in WWII?

China's involvement in uranium mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is part of its broader strategy to secure resources globally. The DRC is rich in mineral resources - including Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in addition to uranium, which is a key material for nuclear energy.

China's interest in these resources aligns with its energy and industrial needs and thus Chinese companies, such as China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China Minmetals Corporation, have been involved in the region.

Several Chinese firms have entered into partnerships with local companies and governments in the DRC to develop mining operations. These partnerships sometimes involve substantial investments in infrastructure, such as roads and ports. What is not referenced is that much of the infrastructure creation is only geared towards creating a durable ingress and egress to mining operations, which frequently does not benefit the populace.

The area of the Congo that the Chinese are now mining - with catastrophic damage to the environment - is the mine the Americans extracted the uranium from to build #atomic bombs in WWII.

The #uranium utilized – in part – in the atomic #bomb dropped on #Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 (named the "Fat Man") was sourced from a mine in Zaire, Africa - which is the present-day DRC or Democratic Republic of Congo.

The #Shinkolobwe mine was the source of the uranium used by the United States in the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. The mine is located near the town of #Likasi in the southeastern part of the country.

Shinkolobwe produced high-grade #uranium ore, and its output was crucial to the development of nuclear weapons during that time. The mine was supposedly “officially” closed in 2004, but illegal mining activities have persisted in the area.

In recent years, #Chinese companies have heavily invested in the DRC's mining sector, particularly in cobalt and copper, both of which are abundant in the #Katanga region where #Likasi is located.

?While it is publicly-maintained that the uranium industry in the #DRC, particularly around the Shinkolobwe mine near Likasi, has declined significantly there's limited direct information on current Chinese involvement in the #Katanga province.

According to the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey:

“In 2006, a DRC sanctions committee report found that the ‘smuggling of #radioactive materials […] are far more frequent than previously assumed.” These included the confiscation of over 50 containers containing uranium or cesium in or around #Kinshasa, as well as the securement of 100 kilograms of uranium ore. While international organizations such as #Interpol have attempted closer collaboration with #Tanzanian and #Congolese authorities, government officials have been reluctant to provide more information.”

?“A French documentary in 2017 on the illegal shipments of uranium from the #Congo through Tanzania also alleged that government officials had been conspiring with artisanal miners in the smuggling of uranium from Shinkolobwe. Their investigation further highlighted the near-inexistent security infrastructure surrounding the mine, raising doubts about how inactive Shinkolobwe truly was.”

?What I personally discovered was this: I was in the Southern DRC on and off between 2009 and 2013 and it was common knowledge that the Chinese were extracting uranium from Haut-Katanga via dangerous artisanal projects. Indeed, the safety precautions were non-existent and a Belgian-Congolese business owner in #Lubumbashi who worked directly with the Chinese told me that normally there were several deaths a week amongst the Chinese miners.

?She suggested two principal causes. The first was improper preparation of bush meat. Since the Chinese miners were given very small rations they paid locals to go out and hunt for them – and this is also common with Chinese logging operations in the area as well.

She felt the second reason was extensive exposure to radioactivity. The miner’s symptoms she described to me were indicative of Acute Radiation Syndrome or #ARS. After speaking with someone in the US Military who worked with satellites, he told me that satellite images in the region “glowed” (ionizing radiation?) and that there was a trail from the Southern DRC thru to Tanzania – meaning uranium was being transported to the East African Coast – most likely for export.

As of today, there logically are ongoing concerns about the environmental and the social impacts of the #PRC's mining activities in the DRC. Issues such as #environmental degradation, displacement of local communities, child labor, prostitution, disease and dangerous working conditions have been raised in relation to many of the #extraction operations - especially the #artisanal ones.

#uranium #pitchblende #carnotite #zaaire #congo #africa #china #drc #mining #japan #WWII #atomic #nuclear