The Congo played role in World War II

The uranium Utilized in the Manhattan Project, the top-secret operation that led to the World War II development of the atomic bomb, came from the Shinkolobwe Mine in Katanga province. Shinkolobwe was reactivated by the US troops after being shuttered in 1939. Col. Ken Nichols arranged for the acquisition of more than 4,000 tons of uranium ore from the mine, shipping a quarter of it to a warehouse on Staten Island for use in the project after army engineers reopened the mine. Before the war ended, about 30,000 tons were sold to the Americans.

Shinkolobwe has been officially closed since 2004, although private miners continue to try to make a living from what they can extract on their own, as is the situation across the Congo. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Kinshasa still houses Africa's first nuclear plant.