Hon. Eng. Louis Watum Kabamba serves as Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bringing decades of leadership across Africa’s mining industry. He was appointed following a cabinet reshuffle aimed at addressing national priorities, after serving as Minister of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises in the government of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka.

A recognized voice in the sector, Minister Watum has held senior industry leadership roles, including President of the Chamber of Mines within the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC). In the private sector, he joined Ivanhoe Mines in December 2014 as General Manager for DRC operations and, in March 2015, became Managing Director of Kamoa Copper SA. He oversaw mine development activities at the Kamoa copper project and the Kipushi zinc–copper–silver mine, and also served in chairman and chief executive roles within the company.
Earlier in his career, he helped launch the Moto Gold Mines project (2006–2009) and subsequently led the development and commissioning of Randgold’s Kibali project (2010–2014), one of the DRC’s landmark gold operations. He also gained international experience in a senior operations role at the Yatela gold mine in Mali.

Minister Watum holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Lubumbashi. He is widely regarded for his operational expertise, strategic leadership, and commitment to developing a competitive, responsible, and value-adding mining sector in the DRC.