Six African countries are now formally backing a precautionary pause or moratorium on deep-sea mining, a shift that has reshaped the continent's position in international negotiations over whether to open the ocean floor to commercial mineral extraction.

Mauritius, Mozambique and the Republic of the Congo announced their support during the International Seabed Authority's annual meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, in July 2026.

They joined Malawi, Kenya and Madagascar – bringing the total to six African nations in the precautionary camp and strengthening the continent's hand in ISA negotiations, where African states hold 10 of the 36 Council seats.

Malawi became the first African country to back a pause in May 2026, followed by Kenya and Madagascar in June. Globally, about 40 countries have formally called for a moratorium or precautionary pause, according to the ISA, though campaign groups using broader definitions put the figure higher.

By the close of the ISA's 31st Assembly, the total had reached 46 nations – over a quarter of the authority's member states.

Mauritius, Africa's richest country by GDP per capita, said its sustainable development depends on a healthy and resilient ocean. The government argued that decisions on seabed mining should be guided by the best available scientific evidence and the precautionary approach.

Kenya's Principal Secretary for Mining, Harry Kimtai, put it bluntly at the 11th Our Oceans Conference in June: "The interest in Deep Seabed Mining is advancing faster than the architecture that guides it. That is why Kenya is lending its voice to calls for a precautionary pause on Deep Seabed Mining until there is sufficient science to support evidence-based decisions. We are yet to get there. We support the precautionary pause."

Supporters of the pause say scientists still lack enough information about the long-term impact of mining ecosystems thousands of metres below the ocean surface. Deep-sea mining mainly targets polymetallic nodules containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and copper. Commercial mining has not yet started in the international seabed under the ISA regime, though the authority currently has exploration contracts with 22 contractors covering polymetallic nodules, sulphides and cobalt-rich crusts.

The debate has divided major economies. France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada back a moratorium, precautionary pause or tighter restrictions. The United States has moved to accelerate deep-sea mineral development, including plans to open areas around American Samoa for exploration. China is expanding its seabed exploration and recently completed a major Pacific expedition that collected mineral-rich nodules and tested new deep-ocean technology. India is also seeking additional exploration licences.

Yet some of Africa's biggest economies – South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – have so far stopped short of joining the precautionary bloc. Their absence does not necessarily signal support for immediate commercial mining, but it highlights the policy choices facing African governments as they weigh environmental risks against access to new sources of critical minerals.

The ISA's 31st session concluded without a timeline for adopting deep seabed mining regulations, "highlighting that critical scientific, governance, and environmental issues remain unresolved," said Kum Elvis Meh, WWF's Regional Policy Coordinator for Africa. "More governments are recognising that protecting the deep ocean must come before opening one of Earth's least understood ecosystems to a new extractive industry."

A proposal by Vanuatu to establish a mechanism to assess gaps in scientific knowledge was not adopted but will be revisited at next year's Assembly. The issue of how to share any potential proceeds from deep-sea mining – a priority for developing states and the Africa Group – was postponed until next year's meeting.