The Sino-Congolese mining company Sicomines, which has been under intense scrutiny for the past several months over its 2007 contract with the government, is now communicating with a sense of confidence that gives the impression its troubles with the authorities in Kinshasa may be over.

This is partially attributable to an aggressive PR campaign by Chinese mining companies in the DRC that by most measures has been very effective in shifting the narrative. Kinshasa’s rival political camps are also now focusing more attention on the launch of next year’s presidential campaign and it’s clear that few people see much benefit in prolonging tensions with some of the country’s largest foreign investors.