DRC: Signing of the AXIS and GOLDCONNECT Framework Agreement. The FSRDC at the Heart of the Strategic Overhaul of Artisanal Gold

DRC: Signing of the AXIS and GOLDCONNECT Framework Agreement. The FSRDC at the Heart of the Strategic Overhaul of Artisanal Gold

Kinshasa, February 19, 2026 Under the high patronage of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, a historic turning point has been reached for the Congolese mining sector.

The signing of the institutional framework agreement between the Ministry of Mines and the Social Fund of the DRC (FSRDC) marks the official launch of the AXIS National Program and the GOLDCONNECT initiative, integrating the innovative Sovereign Gold Reserve Token (SGRT) mechanism. The ceremony took place in the prestigious Blue Hall of the Government Hotel (intelligent building) in Kinshasa.

Why This Matters

With this agreement, the FSRDC becomes the operational pillar of a new mining governance model. Concretely, it aims to:

• Structure artisanal gold supply chains
• Guarantee traceability and transparency from production to export
• Finance development without debt or loss of sovereignty
• Integrate artisanal miners into a formal and secure circuit

Official Voices

For Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, this represents a "major strategic act" that redefines the place of artisanal gold in the national economy.

The Central Role of the FSRDC

Concretely, it is the FSRDC, under the leadership of Philippe Ngwala Malemba, that will coordinate the operationalization of this innovative mechanism, in partnership with Phoenix Capital BV.

AXIS: A New Economic Architecture