Pamoja Critical Minerals Alliance Continental Launch

The Pamoja Critical Minerals Alliance – Africa (PCMA), a grassroots continental initiative facilitated by the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW), convened its inaugural Continental Strategy Planning Workshop and Official Launch on 25-26 February 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe. This landmark gathering took place at a critical moment as Africa’s critical minerals are at the centre of global geopolitical competition, climate policy, and energy transition pathways. While these minerals are essential for global decarbonisation, many African communities continue to face poverty and exclusion from centuries of mining and general resource extractivism, plunder, displacement, labour exploitation, and environmental harm.

The workshop provided a structured, participatory space to craft a three-year continental strategy that strengthens people-centred resource governance, equitable industrialisation, electrification, and environmental justice, led by frontline communities, indigenous people, faith-based, disability rights advocates and workers. Guided by the central question – How can PAMOJA CMA safeguard the rights and dignity of African people while advancing just transitions and resource-based industrialisation? – the convening prioritised social movement approaches that strengthen cross-sector people-to-people solidarity and practical campaign design.

The workshop brought together grassroots activists, Indigenous leaders, trade unions, faith-based organizations, women’s and youth movements, disability rights advocates, and policy experts from across the continent. Through interactive panels, breakout sessions, participatory mapping, and strategy labs, participants collaboratively developed a continental action agenda. The Alliance was formally launched at the close of Day Two, on Thursday, 26 February, accompanied by a media briefing and a public declaration.

Read the full breakdown here: https://mailchi.mp/sarwatch/february-newsletter-18241701