Study: Up to 5,000 Tonnes of Undeclared Uranium May Have Left DRC Since 2000

A new study published in Nature Communications suggests that between 2,000 and 5,000 metric tons of undeclared uranium may have been extracted and exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo between 2000 and 2024. Researchers believe the uranium moved undetected through the country's cobalt supply chain, despite the DRC not officially reporting uranium production for decades. The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Princeton University. China is identified as a likely destination for the material, raising concerns about unmonitored nuclear material flows.