AGP Executive Report

Mineral Mapping: The DRC has launched a three-year airborne survey across nine provinces, using seven aircraft to map its largely unexplored geology and guide future mineral exploration. Public Health: Violence in Ituri has forced aid groups to scale back operations, disrupting Ebola surveillance and delaying the transport of samples to laboratories. A separate report says US policy barred exposed American doctors from returning home for treatment, shifting the response toward border controls. Agricultural Research: Yangambi’s historic oil-palm research station is seeking a new role in sustainable production after decades of underinvestment. Mining Technology: KoBold Metals is using AI to analyze soil samples, colonial-era drill logs and maps to identify promising lithium targets in the DRC.

Sustainable Agriculture: Yangambi’s INERA-backed palm oil research push revives a legacy from the 1930s–40s, when Congo scientists helped unlock tenera genetics that later powered much of global palm oil growth. Mining & Mapping: The DRC has launched nationwide airborne geological mapping (PC2G-RDC) with Spanish support to expand geoscientific coverage and cut exploration risk, targeting regions including Kongo Central, Kwango, Kwilu and Greater Kasai. Ebola Response Politics: A new report says US “America First” border moves sidelined plans to bring exposed Americans home for treatment, shifting focus toward quarantine and flight restrictions—an approach that shaped the DRC Ebola response. Public Health & Security: OCHA warns violence in Ituri has forced some humanitarian groups to suspend operations, disrupting food, health, nutrition, water and even Ebola-related community work and lab sample transport. River Safety: At least 30 people died and dozens are missing after a Congo River boat collision in Equateur. Health Data: DRC officials say Ebola is past its peak in several areas, with deaths now above 4,000. AI for Lithium: KoBold Metals is using AI to read colonial-era drill logs and GPS-linked soil samples to target lithium in the DRC. Civilians in Conflict: UN findings accuse AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in eastern DRC, fueling displacement and humanitarian access problems. Local Innovation: A DRC-linked cultural win highlights Vibra-Signe dance in the region, using floor vibrations and gestures to help deaf dancers follow music.

Geoscience & Mining: The DRC launched a nationwide airborne geological mapping drive (PC2G-RDC) with Spanish support to expand high-resolution surveys across Kongo Central, Kwango, Kwilu and Greater Kasai, aiming to raise geoscientific coverage to 46.1% from 22.27% and cut exploration risk for new mineral finds. Ebola Response & Health Policy: Reuters reports that the US “America First” approach reshaped Ebola care for Americans exposed in the DRC—shifting away from bringing patients home and toward a quarantine camp in Kenya, with border controls taking priority over treatment plans. Ebola Update: DRC health officials say the Ebola outbreak is past its peak, with no new cases in multiple health zones for weeks, while deaths have surpassed 4,000. Humanitarian Access: OCHA warned that violence in Ituri has forced some humanitarian groups to pause or scale back operations, disrupting food, health, nutrition, water and Ebola-related community surveillance. Eastern DRC Security: A UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in North and South Kivu, describing reprisals, executions, displacement and home destruction. AI & Lithium Exploration: KoBold’s AI is being used to read colonial-era drill logs and other data to pinpoint lithium-bearing pegmatite targets for drilling in the DRC. Mining & Industry: A pan-African mining forum, Makutano Mining, is set for Kinshasa on Nov 22–25, 2026, focused on industrializing mineral supply chains and boosting local value creation.

Ebola Response Under Strain: DRC health officials say the Ebola outbreak is past its peak, but the death toll has topped 4,000, with cases now concentrated in specific health zones rather than whole provinces. Humanitarian Access Hit by Violence: OCHA warns that fighting in Ituri has forced at least five aid groups to pause or scale back work, disrupting food, health care, nutrition, water and even Ebola lab sample transport. River Tragedy: At least 30 people died and dozens are missing after two boats collided on the Congo River in Equateur province. Mining Tech Meets AI: KoBold Metals says it’s using AI plus GPS and soil sampling—drawing on colonial-era drill logs and maps—to target lithium in the DRC. Cobalt Supply-Chain Pressure: A new report highlights how flooding at Kamoa-Kakula could cut 2026 copper output, while cobalt dynamics keep Kinshasa’s export rules and Chinese refining power tightly linked. Eastern DRC Rights Alarm: A UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in North and South Kivu, triggering global calls for accountability. Health Tech Pipeline: NanoViricides filed its annual report, noting NV-387 is in Phase II trials in the DRC for mpox. Mining Value-Addition Push: Italy and the DRC sign a cooperation MoU on training and capacity building, and Kinshasa will host the Makutano Mining forum on industrializing mineral supply chains.

Humanitarian Access Under Strain: OCHA says violence in Ituri, especially Djugu, has forced at least five aid groups to suspend or cut operations, leaving thousands at risk of missing food, health care, nutrition, water and sanitation—and even Ebola response work is being disrupted. Ebola Update: DRC health officials report the Ebola outbreak is past its peak, with no new cases in multiple health zones for weeks, while total deaths have surpassed 4,000. River Safety Crisis: At least 30 people died and dozens are missing after two motorised wooden boats collided on the Congo River near Ngombe-Lukolela in Equateur province. Mining Tech for Lithium: KoBold’s AI is being used to read colonial-era drill logs and GPS-linked soil sampling to target lithium in the DRC, aiming to speed up drilling decisions. Eastern DRC Rights Alarm: A UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in North and South Kivu, documenting reprisals like executions, forced displacement and home destruction. Health Tech & Trials: NanoViricides filed its annual report, noting NV-387 oral gummies have entered Phase II for mpox in the DRC.

Ebola Update: DRC health officials say the Ebola outbreak is easing in several areas, with no new cases in multiple health zones for weeks, even as deaths have passed 4,000 (4,018) across 8,300 confirmed cases. Eastern DRC Rights Crisis: A new UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in North and South Kivu, describing reprisals like summary executions, forced displacement, and home destruction tied to operations against the FDLR. Mining & AI: KoBold Metals says it’s using AI to read colonial-era drill logs and satellite data to pinpoint lithium in the DRC, guiding where to drill. Cobalt Supply Chain: A report on China–Kinshasa dynamics highlights how DRC export quotas and Chinese control can create cartel-like behavior in cobalt markets. Health Tech Research: NanoViricides filed its annual report, noting Phase II progress for NV-387 oral gummies for mpox in the DRC. Mining Industrialisation: Kinshasa will host “Makutano Mining” (Nov 22–25, 2026) to push local value addition in mining.

Ebola Update: DRC health officials say the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is easing in several areas, with no new cases reported in multiple health zones for weeks, even as deaths have surpassed 4,000 (4,018 deaths; 8,300 confirmed cases across seven provinces). AI for Outbreak Response: The response is also using anonymised mobile phone movement data to predict where Ebola could appear next, helping teams pre-position in higher-risk areas. Eastern DRC Rights Crisis: A UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in North and South Kivu, describing reprisals such as executions, forced displacement, and home destruction. Mining Tech & Lithium Search: KoBold Metals says it’s using AI to read colonial-era drill logs and satellite data, guiding where to drill for lithium in the DRC. DRC Mining Value-Add Push: Kinshasa will host “Makutano Mining” (Nov 22–25, 2026) to drive industrialisation and local processing of mineral resources. Health & Cancer Research: A new study highlights major cervical cancer prevention gaps for informal sector women in eastern DRC, where access to screening and care remains fragmented.

Ebola Update: DRC health officials say the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is easing in several areas, with no new cases reported in multiple health zones for weeks, even as deaths have passed 4,000 (4,018 deaths) across 8,300 confirmed cases in seven provinces. AI for Mining: KoBold Metals says it’s using AI to read colonial-era drill logs and satellite data, combining GPS fieldwork and thousands of soil samples to predict where lithium pegmatite may be—then target drilling in the DRC. Eastern DRC Rights: A new UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in North and South Kivu, describing reprisals like summary executions, forced displacement, and home destruction tied to suspected support for the FDLR. Health Tech: A DRC-linked approach uses anonymised mobile phone movement data to help predict where Ebola could spread next, aiming to prepare high-risk areas earlier. Mining Value Addition: Kinshasa will host “Makutano Mining” (Nov 22–25, 2026), a pan-African forum focused on industrialising mining and financing mineral projects. Cancer Care Gap: New research highlights how cervical cancer prevention and treatment remain fragmented in the DRC, with major barriers to screening and vaccination access.

Ebola Update: DRC health officials say the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is easing in several areas, with no new cases in multiple health zones for weeks, even as deaths pass 4,000 (4,018) across 8,300 confirmed cases; the peak is “behind us,” officials say, while recoveries reach 2,162. AI for Mining: KoBold Metals is using AI tied to GPS and tablets to reprocess colonial-era drill logs, satellite imagery, and soil samples to predict lithium-rich pegmatite and target drilling in the DRC. UN Accountability: A new UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in eastern DRC, describing reprisals like executions, forced displacement, and home destruction in North and South Kivu. Ebola Response Tech: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone data to map population movement and prepare hotspots before cases appear. DRC Health R&D: NanoViricides filed its annual report, noting NV-387 oral gummies are in Phase II trials for mpox in the DRC. Mining Value & Policy: Italy and the DRC sign a cooperation MoU on training and capacity building, tied to Italy’s Africa strategy and the Mattei Plan.

UN Accountability: A new UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in eastern DRC during operations against the FDLR, describing reprisals such as summary executions, forced displacement, and home destruction across North and South Kivu—undercutting claims that the group’s presence is only to fight Rwandan Hutu combatants. Humanitarian Pressure: The report also flags how hard it is to separate combatants from Hutu civilians, fueling communal violence while displaced people keep arriving and aid access remains constrained. DRC Health Tech: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone data to forecast where Ebola may spread next, helping responders prepare high-risk areas earlier as cases rise across multiple provinces. Mining & Industry: Italy is expanding its Africa strategy with a focus on the DRC, while the country positions itself as a decision centre for mining value addition; a new Kinshasa mining forum is set for Nov 22–25, 2026. Cobalt Supply Chain: A report on China–Kinshasa–DRC cobalt export rules highlights how production and refining concentration can behave like a cartel, shaping global prices and risk. Biotech Update: NanoViricides says it filed its annual report and is moving NV-387 oral gummies into Phase II for mpox in the DRC, after facility upgrades for a remote trial site.

UN Accountability: A new UN report accuses AFC/M23 of systematically targeting civilians in eastern DRC during operations against the FDLR, describing reprisals such as summary executions, forced displacement, and home destruction across North and South Kivu—undercutting claims the campaign is only against Rwandan Hutu combatants. Humanitarian Pressure: The report also flags how hard it is to separate combatants from Hutu civilians, fueling communal violence as displaced people keep arriving and aid access remains constrained. DRC Health Tech: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone data to anticipate where Ebola may spread next, helping responders prepare high-risk areas earlier as the outbreak grows across multiple provinces. Mining & AI: US firm KoBold Metals is sending AI-directed “explorers” into the Congolese bush with GPS and real-time systems to find critical minerals, as the race for lithium and other resources intensifies. Cobalt Supply Chain: A look at how Kinshasa’s export quota and Chinese control of mining and refining shape DRC cobalt pricing and risk—turning the system into a de facto cartel dynamic. Italy–DRC Cooperation: Italy’s Med-Or and Kinshasa signed an MoU to expand training and capacity building, tied to Italy’s wider Africa strategy and the Mattei Plan.

Ebola Response Tech: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone data to predict where Ebola could spread next, helping health teams map population movement between towns and prepare high-risk areas before cases appear. Mining & Supply Chains: China-linked mining dynamics keep reshaping global prices: Zijin flagged flooding at the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex could cut 2026 output, while a “silent cartel” effect is described in cobalt where Kinshasa’s export quota regime and Chinese refining dominance concentrate risk and volume. AI Mineral Exploration: US miner KoBold Metals is deploying AI-directed exploration in the DRC, using GPS and connected tablets to guide field work from servers in California as it targets critical minerals like lithium. DRC Health Research: NanoViricides filed its annual report, noting Phase II progress for NV-387 (oral gummies) for mpox in the DRC, with trial sites adjusted as the Kinshasa outbreak eased. Capacity Building & Partnerships: Italy’s Med-Or and the DRC signed an MoU to expand training and capacity building, tied to Italy’s Mattei Plan and the DRC’s role in global supply chains. Local Value-Addition Push: The Makutano Network will host “Makutano Mining” in Kinshasa (Nov 22–25, 2026) to drive industrialisation and local processing of mineral resources.

Cobalt Supply Shock: Zijin says flooding at the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the DRC could cut 2026 output by up to 57,000 tonnes, nudging global copper prices above $14,000/tonne and underscoring how one Congolese site can ripple through electrification and AI supply chains. Cobalt “Cartel” Dynamics: A separate look at the DRC’s cobalt dominance (about 70% of mined output) highlights how Kinshasa’s export quota rules plus Chinese control of mining and refining can create cartel-like behavior without anyone formally declaring one. AI Mineral Prospecting: US miner KoBold Metals is sending AI-directed exploration teams into the Congolese bush, using GPS and connected tablets to speed critical-mineral searches as Washington tries to reduce China’s grip on copper and cobalt. Ebola Forecasting with Phone Data: DRC health teams are using anonymised mobile phone movement data to anticipate where Ebola may spread next, aiming to prepare high-risk areas earlier. Italy–DRC Skills Partnership: Italy’s Med-Or and Kinshasa signed an MoU to expand training and capacity-building, tied to Rome’s Mattei Plan push deeper into Central Africa. DRC Mining Value-Add Push: Kinshasa will host Makutano Mining (Nov 22–25, 2026), a forum focused on industrialising mining economies and financing local processing. Public Health Research Update: NanoViricides filed its annual report, noting Phase II progress for NV-387 oral gummies against mpox in the DRC.

Ebola Early-Warning Boost: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone data to map how people move between towns, helping health teams prepare for where Ebola could appear next as cases rise across seven provinces. AI Mineral Hunt: US miner KoBold Metals is sending geologists into the Congolese bush with GPS and tablets feeding an AI system from California, aiming to find critical minerals like lithium and challenge China’s dominance in copper and cobalt. Mining Value-Addition Push: Kinshasa will host the first Makutano Mining forum (Nov 22–25, 2026), focused on industrialising mining economies and financing projects that build local processing capacity. Italy–DRC Tech Cooperation: Med-Or and the DRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand training and capacity-building through joint seminars and initiatives, tied to Italy’s wider Africa strategy. Health Research Update: NanoViricides filed its annual report, saying its broad-spectrum antiviral NV-387 is in Phase II trials for mpox in the DRC after facilities were upgraded for a new trial site. Internet Shutdowns and Protest: A report highlights how telcos shutting down internet access can suppress protests by limiting online coordination.

Ebola Response Upgrade: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone movement data to spot where Ebola could spread next, helping teams prepare hotspots before cases are detected as the outbreak keeps shifting across provinces. Public Health Pressure: WHO reports cases falling in Ituri and Haut Uele but rising sharply in North Kivu, with many deaths still happening before people reach Ebola treatment centres—an urgent push for earlier detection and faster care. Mining Value-Add Push: Kinshasa is positioning itself as a decision centre for Africa’s mining value addition, with a major pan-African mining forum planned in November 2026 to back local processing and financing. AI Mineral Hunt: US firm KoBold Metals is deploying AI-directed exploration in the DRC, using GPS and connected field tools to find critical minerals as global demand for battery metals grows. Italy–DRC Training Partnership: Med-Or and the DRC government signed an MoU to expand cooperation on training and capacity building, tied to Italy’s wider Africa strategy. Mpox Antiviral Trial: NanoViricides says its NV-387 oral gummy Phase II trial for mpox is underway in the DRC after regulatory approval, aiming to test safety and effectiveness.

DRC–Italy Health & Skills Partnership: Med-Or and the DRC government signed an MoU in Kinshasa to set up joint training, capacity-building, and sector-focused projects, aligning with Italy’s wider Mattei Plan push deeper into Central Africa. Ebola Response Gets Smarter: The DRC is using anonymised mobile phone data to forecast where Ebola may spread next, helping teams pre-position support; WHO also reports mixed trends—cases falling in Ituri and Haut Uele but rising sharply in North Kivu, with many deaths still occurring before people reach treatment. Mining Value-Add Push: A new Kinshasa forum, Makutano Mining (Nov 22–25, 2026), will bring together African leaders, investors, and banks to back industrialisation and local processing of mineral resources. AI in Congo’s Mineral Hunt: KoBold Metals says it’s deploying AI-directed exploration in the DRC to find critical minerals, aiming to reduce reliance on China’s dominance in copper and cobalt. New Antiviral Trials in DRC: NanoViricides filed its annual report and says NV-387 Phase II work is underway in the DRC for mpox, with enrollment starting late September 2026.