ADDIS ABABA — President Hakainde Hichilema addressed the African Union summit on Tuesday, urging a coordinated strategy for critical minerals including copper, cobalt and manganese that positions Africa as a beneficiation hub rather than a raw materials exporter.
Speaking alongside DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, Hichilema proposed an AU working group to negotiate fair pricing with battery manufacturers and automotive firms in Asia and Europe. Zambia and the DRC collectively supply over 10 percent of global copper and significant cobalt volumes.
The address referenced Zambia’s emerging battery precursor pilot plant in the Copperbelt and incentives for investors establishing smelters and refineries. African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina pledged support for regional special economic zones.
Critics at home questioned whether beneficiation ambitions align with unreliable electricity supply from ZESCO. Mining executives cautioned that global competitors in Indonesia and Chile are also racing to capture downstream value chains.
Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo said Zambia would host an AU technical meeting in Lusaka in November to draft a minerals charter ahead of the COP31 climate negotiations.
