Country × sector × commodity · Source-linked evidence
cobalt from DR Congo
Mining & Extractives sourcing evidence brief
Country context
severeSector-adjusted
highCommodity evidence
severeSector evidence
moderateAnswer first
Enhanced evidence is indicated before supplier onboarding, award or renewal.
[S/1] records 4 source-linked signals relevant to cobalt in DR Congo's mining & extractives sector. The most elevated subject-specific evidence is rated severe. Country context is severe and sector-adjusted context is high. Enhanced evidence is indicated before supplier onboarding, award or renewal.
Published 22 August 2026 · Evidence version 24 August 2026
Source-linked evidence
Commodity, material or product matches are separated from broader sector context. Every row states its scope, source and vintage; unavailable evidence is never treated as low risk.
| Evidence | Scope | Level | Observation | Provenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict mineral | cobalt | severe | Recorded signalSource year 2024 | Salient One CAHRA screening assessmentDerived by Salient One · cahra-screen-1.0S1 screening-priority assessment derived from a fixed 2021–2024 conflict-area evidence review. No external publication date is claimed. It is not an OECD designation and the official CAHRA list is indicative and non-exhaustive. |
| Child labour | Cobalt Ore (heterogenite) | high | Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)Effective 5 September 2024Status listed | US DOL TVPRADerived by Salient One · tvpra-sector-map-1.0US DOL-listed good mapped to the S1 Mining & Quarrying sector. The high band routes enhanced verification and is not a finding about a specific supplier or shipment. |
| Forced labour | Cobalt Ore (heterogenite) | high | Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)Effective 5 September 2024Status listed | US DOL TVPRADerived by Salient One · tvpra-sector-map-1.0US DOL-listed good mapped to the S1 Mining & Quarrying sector. The high band routes enhanced verification and is not a finding about a specific supplier or shipment. |
| CBP detention order | Sector context | moderate | Artisanal Small MinesEffective 30 September 2019Status Partially Modified | CBP WRODerived by Salient One · cbp-enforcement-routing-1.0WRO mapped to a diligence-routing band using CBP's distinction between reasonable-but-inconclusive WRO evidence and a Finding determination. |
Priority evidence domains
Governance
severeRegulatory enforcement risk is intensified by sector-specific governance deficits (×1.5).
Corruption
severeIntensified corruption exposure driven by sector-specific opaque procurement (×2.5), elevating the effective risk rating from high to severe.
Forced Labour
severeSector intensified forced labour exposure (×1.3) — jurisdictional forced labour indices include: Cobalt ore (heterogenite), Copper ore, Diamonds and 4 supplementary categories, elevating the effective risk rating from high to severe.
Conflict & Violence
severeRegional security risks are intensified by sector-specific asset vulnerability (×2.5), elevating the effective risk rating from moderate to severe.
What to verify next
- 1Reconstruct ownership and actual control, including material historical changes and opaque jurisdictions.
- 2Verify licences, banking route, tax or distress signals and the operating facts material to the engagement.
- 3Preserve the approval rationale, evidence dates, limitations, owner and next review trigger.
- 4Execute verification of correspondent banking stability and document de-risking impacts on settlement latency.
- 5Formally document Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), including UBO verification and source-of-wealth analysis.
- 6Initiate Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
- 7Execute Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) verification
- 8Perform forensic Forced Labour supply chain assessment
- 9Run comprehensive Sanctions and Export Control screening
Questions this brief answers
What should a buyer verify before sourcing cobalt from DR Congo?
Enhanced evidence is indicated before supplier onboarding, award or renewal. Establish the supplier's legal identity and current status, reconstruct ownership and control, screen connected parties, verify operating capacity and preserve the evidence dates, limitations and review trigger.
What evidence does [S/1] record for cobalt from DR Congo?
cobalt is directly matched to conflict-mineral evidence for DR Congo, rated severe. The source vintage is 2024. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method cahra-screen-1.0. cobalt is directly matched to child-labour evidence for DR Congo, rated high. The source vintage is 2024. Reference: Cobalt Ore (heterogenite). Source status: listed. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method tvpra-sector-map-1.0. cobalt is directly matched to forced-labour evidence for DR Congo, rated high. The source vintage is 2024. Reference: Cobalt Ore (heterogenite). Source status: listed. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method tvpra-sector-map-1.0. The mining & extractives sector has forced-labour detention evidence for DR Congo, rated moderate. The source vintage is 2019. Reference: Artisanal Small Mines. Source status: Partially Modified. The interpretation is derived by Salient One under method cbp-enforcement-routing-1.0.
Where does the cobalt sourcing evidence come from?
The matching observations come from Salient One CAHRA screening assessment, US DOL TVPRA, CBP WRO. Each evidence row shows its source vintage or observation date and links to the source where available.
Does this brief clear a DR Congo supplier?
No. This is a country-, sector- and commodity-level routing aid. It does not establish the identity, ownership, sanctions status, operating capacity, legality or suitability of any supplier or transaction.
Recommended citation
Salient One (2026-08-24). cobalt from DR Congo: sourcing risk evidence brief. https://s1.salientone.eu/sourcing-risk/dr-congo/mining/cobalt