The ocean, covering 70% of the planet, regulates our climate, produces oxygen, and sustains life, yet it faces a new danger - deep-sea mining. As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) debates regulations, experts warn that extracting minerals from the seabed could destroy fragile ecosystems, release stored carbon, and trigger irreversible harm, reports allAfrica's Melody Chironda. 

Mining companies in Rwanda are upbeat after the discovery of lithium deposits in the country's southern province. The discovery followed months of drilling, with initial results confirming the presence of "high-grade lithium".

A senior official of Aterian Plc, one of the companies involved in the exploration, described the findings as "particularly strong" and "world-class".

There have been mixed messaging from the government of Liberia and the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia after the signing of a U.S.$1.8 billion deal with Ivanhoe Atlantic, which is owned by U.S. mining giant High Power Exploration (HPX). The embassy released a statement on Monday, July 7, saying the agreement would provide a boost to the Liberian economy.

Mines and Energy Minister Wilmont Paye is, however, reported to

Zimbabwe finally has gazetted the contentious Mines and Minerals Bill a decade later from its initial drafting, igniting hopes for attaining lasting solutions to mining-related problems bedevilling the nation.

The Bill, which has undergone several changes since 2015, is seen as a departure from the archaic colonial legislation last

Mali's military government has tightened its grip on the gold industry as it moved to reclaim control from foreign operators and expand local processing with Russian support. The junta stepped up its efforts to reclaim control of its lucrative gold industry, moving decisively to seize operational reins of the Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex from Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold and launching construction of a new

President Brice Oligui Nguema has announced the move as part of a broader national strategy to industrialise Gabon's economy and add more value to its abundant natural resources. Oligui, who took power after the 2023 coup and was elected in April 2025 with nearly 95% of the vote, wants to reshape Gabon's economic model.

Former Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo has been sentenced to ten years of forced labour for embezzling around $245 million of public funds, alongside Deogratias Mutombo, the former governor of the central bank, who received a five-year sentence.

Ponyo's lawyer said the ruling was "unfair and politically motivated". The case has stretched over almost four years since the

Experts warn that little has been achieved since countries in the Great Lakes region signed a mineral certification scheme more than a decade ago to help stop the illegal exploitation of critical minerals - which has been the source of some conflicts in the area.

During the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on April 9, one of the speakers lamented the lack of harmony between political and

The capture of North Kivu's provincial capital, Goma, by the M23 armed group recently drew increased international attention to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yet much of the reporting on the crisis frames it as being primarily driven by a desire to plunder the region's rich mineral resources, reports The New Humanitarian.

President John Mahama has ordered an investigation into violence between illegal miners and soldiers of the Ghanaian army that left nine people dead. "The miners, armed with locally made rifles, pump-action guns, knives, axes, gas cylinders, and other tools, opened fire on military personnel when confronted. In self-defence, the soldiers returned fire, resulting in the fatalities...," an army spokesperson said.