Council Approves Decrees on Polymetals and Potash
Brazzaville closed out 2025 with decisive signals for the mining industry. Meeting on December 31, the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Denis Sassou N’Guesso, approved four draft decrees that open the door to the large-scale development of polymetals and potash.
These decisions aim to accelerate economic diversification and local processing, two priorities reaffirmed in recent political discourse.
Baouchi SARLU Details Its Plan for Cable-Grade Metals
The first pair of decrees grants Baouchi SARLU development permits covering the Passa-Moubingui and Mindouli sites in the Pool department, where combined polymetallic resources are estimated at around 30 million tonnes.
The company intends to build modern facilities capable of processing concentrates into finished copper and zinc cables, thereby reducing the import bill and supplying national electrification projects.
According to the plan, annual production could reach 250,000 tonnes over a twenty-five-year mine life, supported by an estimated investment package of $350 million, including dedicated roads, power lines, and a training center.
Employment projections amount to 350 positions, with at least 250 to be offered to Congolese nationals, in line with the local content provisions of the 2021 Mining Code.
New Player in the Sector
Baouchi submitted its application last November. Two presidential decrees published on October 8, 2024, had returned the sites to the public domain, allowing the ministry to launch a new tender which selected Baouchi’s proposal.
The public summary of Baouchi’s technical file indicates that feasibility, environmental, and social impact studies must be finalized before any construction permit is signed.
The timeline is ambitious but plausible, provided international prices for copper, zinc, and associated metals remain favorable.
Soremi SARLU Deepens Potash Exploration in Kouilou
Furthermore, the Council approved two draft decrees granting Soremi SARLU exploration permits for the Mandza and Mboumbissi blocks in Kouilou, west of Pointe-Noire.
The company, backed by Chinese capital, had previously conducted prospecting at Mbélélo, Mboumbissi, and Mandza, identifying promising potash horizons that now warrant more in-depth drilling estimated at five billion CFA francs.
It was emphasized that potash fertilizers are essential for food security strategies in Central Africa and that local processing could supply both national farmers and regional markets.
A successful exploration phase would pave the way for industrial exploitation under the framework of cooperation agreed upon at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Guarantees, Consultations, and Local Benefits
For citizens, the real impact will be measured not only by export revenues but also by the number of skilled young people trained, the volume of cables produced in Congolese factories, and the bags of fertilizer reaching smallholder cooperatives.
Before any ore is moved, Baouchi must submit an Environmental and Social Management Plan to the Ministry of Environment. Public consultations in Passa, Mindouli, and neighboring villages are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Local leaders welcomed this requirement. “Our communities want mining, but responsible mining,” said a district chief, adding that road upgrades and health center extensions were among the negotiable priorities in the future community development agreement.
At the Mindouli high school, a science teacher hopes the future training center will offer internships that align classroom lessons with laboratory practice, thereby strengthening the province’s human capital.
The decrees also impose rehabilitation guarantees to ensure the backfilling of mine pits and the restoration of vegetation after closure. These provisions reflect best practices promoted by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.
On the potash side, Soremi must share all geological data with state geologists, strengthening the central national archives established in Pointe-Noire two years ago. The database is expected to improve resource governance and attract downstream investors in the fertilizer sector.
Economic Diversification and Financing Signals
Congo-Brazzaville has long sought to transform its considerable geological potential into broad-based growth, moving beyond oil dependence and aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The new decrees send reassuring signals to investors about regulatory predictability, while maintaining safeguards through mandatory environmental studies and local hiring quotas.
Both projects could eventually benefit from green or sustainability-linked financing, provided disclosure standards match those required by international lenders.
For the government, the timing is strategic. Oil revenues are gradually declining, and the 2024-2028 National Development Plan relies on the mining sector to boost non-hydrocarbon GDP to 10% by 2028. The Council’s approval demonstrates an implementation will.
The speed of implementation must be balanced with robust oversight, learning from past experiences so that Congo fully captures the value.
Milestones to Watch in 2026
In 2026, observers will monitor Baouchi’s pre-feasibility milestones and Soremi’s seismic studies for early clues on the pace of the new mineral agenda.