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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

Belgium opens up Congo archives amid global minerals race

Belgium Congo United States Mining
The documents fill nearly 500 metres of shelving at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, outside the Belgian capital.
The documents fill nearly 500 metres of shelving at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, outside the Belgian capital. © ERIC LALMAND / Belga/AFP

Tervuren (Belgium) (AFP) – From century-old maps to meticulous field notes, Belgium is sitting on a trove of geological records on colonial-era Congo – a coveted archive it is working to open up amid a global scramble for critical minerals.

Teeming documents charting the rich subsoil of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo fill nearly 500 metres of shelving at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, outside the Belgian capital.

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