by Andrew Ehrenkranz 

Mukumbi, a desolate hive of straw huts, looks like a typical village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the poorest countries in Africa. But a few kilometers down a red-dirt road lies a deposit of some of the purest uranium on the planet. The Shinkolobwe mines produced uranium for the first atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The mine has been closed for decades, but with soaring demand for uranium to power new nuclear reactors and build weapons, this resource is beginning to attract attention. 

The United Nations and the U.S. government, among others, are concerned that uranium from the mines may wind up in the hands of terrorists or rogue nations who want the ore for weapons. Illegal artesian mining has long persisted in Shinkolobwe’s periphery, particularly for minerals like cobalt,  copper, and coltan, increasingly in demand for mobile phones, electronics, and batteries. In recent years there have been reports of uranium being confiscated at neighboring borders that was ultimately traced to Shinkolobwe. This week there have been unconfirmed reports in Kinshasa that the government is seeking foreign help to re-open the mine.

The Congolese government appears to be keeping a tighter lid on the mine than it has in the past. On a recent visit to the area, I was met by a formidable Congolese military presence, who were under strict orders to prohibit any foreigner from coming within two kilometers of the mine’s perimeter. The well-armed soldiers were members of an elite unit within Kabila’s Presidential guard, and with bottled water and motorcycles, appeared better equipped to rough terrain in the region than the Congolese troops seen manning checkpoints and other security installations around the country.But firepower won't solve all of  security problems in containing the uranium from Shinkolobwe. According to a security official in Congolese President Joseph Kabila’s  office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the main challenge to securing  the region is locating all the uranium illegally mined in years of war before the the current government came to power. “If you know what you want, there are still people who know where to get  [the] product,” said the source.