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Spies in the Congo: America's Atomic Mission in World War II?
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Shinkolobwe is a tough subject to talk about as there is very little research currently done on it, but I will share what I know so long. I am hoping to delve further into it once I have finished my current projects and will post more info on it eventually.
Essentially, the Shinkolobwe uranium mine in Congo dates back to Belgian Congo (1921 onwards) and was the mine from which uranium for the Manhattan Project and the bombs dropped on Japan was gathered. The mine was officially decommissioned in 2004 but apparently still operates in an "artisanal" fashion - which just means it is being mined illegally but with the government turning a blind eye.
Very few people stop to think about where the uranium used in atomic weaponry comes from, but in the early days, most if not all of it came from the Congo - as did much of the copper used in WWI! The scale of the horror the unprotected miners suffered as a result of handling raw uranium is only now being explored - and atrocities surrounding Congo's resources are still happening today! But I digress, as we are meant to stick to the historical aspect here.
From a military history point of view, the story behind this mine is fascinating and how it intertwines with WWII logistical supplies as well as early Allied and Axis attempts at studying the chain reactions behind uranium (eventually leading to the development of atomic weaponry) is fascinating. Further, just how involved Congo was in supplying other resources to the West and the East from the early 1900's until even today is still worth exploring.
I'm sorry I can't go into further detail, I have a lot of work to take care of - but I will provide plenty of reading material below if you are interested:
There is a good book by Susan Williams called Spies in the Congo : America's atomic mission in World War II which explores this topic at length - though the main criticism is that there is significant speculation throughout the book (which is understandable considering the scarcity of records in Congo of the mining activities - as well as the classified nature of the documentation in the US, Belgium and UK).
I also recommend these articles if you wish to read further:
Adamson, M (2017) The secret search for uranium in Cold War Morocco
And further:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-radioactive-cut-that-will-not-stay-closed/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/17/spies-in-the-congo-susan-williams-review
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