DAKAR - Democratic Republic of Congo has signed an agreement with Switzerland-based diamond ​and gemstone technology ⁠firm ADEX Platform for the marketing of ‌Congolese diamonds, under which they will process the gemstones domestically.

The agreement is ​aimed at boosting transparency, curbing smuggling and raising local value addition, the ​mines ministry said.

​Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba presided over the signing on Monday between ADEX and the state-run ⁠Mining Fund for Future Generations (FOMIN), the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

The deal will create a joint venture, ADEX RDC S.A., owned equally by the ​two partners.

The ADEX ⁠RDC JV ⁠will establish an international-standard cutting and jewellery facility in Congo and ​develop a digital platform to enable direct ‌sales to global markets, the ⁠ministry said.

Congo, a global top five and Africa's second-largest diamond producer, has been pushing reforms to extract more value from its vast mining sector.

The country, once a major global diamond producer, has struggled with declining output and illicit exports, which have undermined revenues.

The world's top cobalt supplier produced about 13 million carats ‌of diamonds in 2021, falling to 8.1 ⁠million carats in 2025, according to official ​data. Around 85% of output comes from artisanal mining.

Industrial output is dominated by SACIM, a China-backed joint venture ​which produced ‌just over 1 million carats last year.