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Security for Rare Earth and Critical Minerals Operations

Security Intelligence

Security for Rare Earth and Critical Minerals Operations

Security considerations for executives and operations in the rare earth and critical minerals sector. Covers the geopolitical context, field security in mining regions.

Marcus Webb, Security Operations Adviser 20 March 2026 2 min read

The global race to secure critical minerals supply chains has created a sector operating in some of the world’s most challenging security environments, under the gaze of major power competition, with community conflict dynamics that can rapidly become physical security threats.

The Critical Minerals Security Context

The strategic importance of lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths, and other critical minerals has elevated them from commodity-sector concerns to national security priorities for major economies. This creates a security environment with layers that standard extractive sector security does not fully address:

State actor interest. Foreign state intelligence services (particularly those of major powers seeking to understand, influence, or disrupt competitor supply chains) have direct interest in critical minerals operations. This manifests as cyber targeting, HUMINT operations against personnel, and commercial intelligence gathering.

Community conflict. Mining in developing countries generates community conflict that can escalate to physical security threats. The DRC’s artisanal mining communities, Latin American indigenous rights movements, and West African mining communities have all generated security incidents for operators.

Criminal targeting. High-value mineral concentrates in transit are targets for organised criminal theft. The artisanal mining sector creates parallel informal supply chains that overlap with criminal networks.

Political instability. Many critical minerals deposits are in politically unstable jurisdictions. Operational continuity depends on maintaining relationships through political transitions that may shift the security environment rapidly.

Security for Critical Minerals Operations

Field security management. Journey management for vehicle movements in high-risk areas, residential compound security, and communication systems for remote operations.

Community engagement. Not a substitute for physical security, but an essential complement. Operations with strong community relations programmes face lower intensity security threats from communities.

Executive protection. For sector executives travelling to operations or conducting due diligence in elevated-risk areas, close protection appropriate to the local threat environment.

Intelligence and monitoring. Current intelligence on political and security developments in operating areas. Early warning of community tensions before they become security incidents.

For security services relevant to the extractive sector, see our executive protection page.

For tailored support on the issues covered here, see our executive protection service and bodyguard hire service.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths, copper) are strategically essential for the energy transition and defence manufacturing. This makes them geopolitically contested: China dominates supply chains for many critical minerals and has used this position. Western companies seeking to develop alternative supply chains are operating in environments where state actors (including Chinese entities) have significant intelligence and commercial interest in their activities.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (cobalt, coltan), parts of West Africa (lithium, gold), Myanmar (rare earths (although largely Chinese-controlled), Afghanistan (lithium, though effectively inaccessible), and parts of Latin America with political instability (lithium triangle) Chile, Argentina, Bolivia). Each presents different combinations of state actor interest, community conflict, and criminal threat.

Mining operations in developing countries frequently face conflict with local communities over land rights, environmental impact, and revenue distribution. This is not simply a reputational risk: community protests have blocked operations, destroyed equipment, and in some cases resulted in violence against mining personnel. Community relations programmes that genuinely address local concerns are a security measure as much as an ESG requirement.

Critical minerals sit at the centre of strategic competition, which adds state interest, export-control sensitivity, and the risk of abrupt policy or contractual change to ordinary site security concerns. Operations can become exposed to political pressure as well as physical threat.

Many deposits are in remote or fragile regions where community relations directly affect security, so a model built on local engagement, fair grievance handling, and proportionate physical protection works better than guarding alone. Poor community relations are themselves a security risk.
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