Informal translation from BHRC - "Le rôle pivot de l'Afrique dans l'exploitation minière des fonds marins" - RFI, 27 July 2026

"A fierce battle is unfolding between industrial interests, countries eager to access the resources found on the seabed - particularly critical minerals - and those seeking to protect regions that remain largely untouched by human activity. Africa could play a pivotal role in the negotiations ahead."

"At depths of between 3,000 and 4,000 metres in international waters lie manganese, copper, cobalt, and many other minerals. While these resources are attracting growing interest, momentum is also building behind a moratorium on deep-sea mining to protect little-known and still largely preserved ecosystems. Forty-three countries now support such a moratorium, including three African nations: Kenya, Malawi, and Madagascar. Their recent endorsement could prove decisive."

"The African Group at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is the largest in numerical terms. Politically, it is the most influential group and tends to vote as a bloc... Several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and South Africa, possess significant mineral resources. They have little interest in seeing deep-sea mining begin because it would create new competition," explained Anne-Sophie Roux, a maritime policy adviser. "The United States is not a member of the ISA and poses a challenge to these negotiations. Last year, the US President signed an executive order authorising companies to undertake deep-sea mining, including in international waters, in disregard of international law. However, no licences have yet been granted."