By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila
DAKAR, July 15 (Reuters) – A worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is disrupting travel and delaying meetings tied to a U.S.-backed critical minerals partnership aimed at loosening China’s hold on Congo’s vast copper and cobalt resources, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The outbreak has made travel to and from Congo increasingly difficult, with quarantine requirements and health concerns forcing officials and investors to postpone visits, a diplomat and two consultants advising on U.S. investments said.
Congo is the world’s top cobalt producer and second-largest copper supplier, with significant deposits of germanium, lithium and tantalum, making it a key source of energy-transition minerals and a focus of global competition.
The United States and China have separately expanded minerals partnerships with Kinshasa to boost investment and secure access to its mineral deposits.
The outbreak, declared in mid-May, has infected 2,011 people and killed 754, according to government data.
The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa on July 11 urged Americans not to travel to Congo “for any reason” because of Ebola and warned that travelers exposed to the virus could face up to 21 days of quarantine at their own expense.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Washington “has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans.”
The department said in an emailed response that the U.S. was working to contain the outbreak while advancing its minerals partnership with Congo, citing progress on the Lobito Corridor and Kinshasa’s commitment to facilitating U.S. investment.
A diplomatic source said the outbreak was delaying the U.S.-Congo minerals partnership and that deal discussions had been postponed, declining to give details.
The source said a Washington meeting planned for last month to review U.S. companies’ interest in Congolese projects had been postponed, though discussions have continued elsewhere, including London.
The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The Congolese government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Some investors and officials have shifted meetings to Paris and Brussels, a consultant said, adding that a planned July review of Congolese projects had been cancelled because key partners were unable to travel from the U.S.
(Reporting by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila; additionall reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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