Investors led by former National Basketball Association player Dikembe Mutombo are adding $1 billion in investments to support ethical mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kallanish reports.

The campaign is being led by Bluetech Investments and its chairman Mutombo, along with international investors from the United States, Hong Kong and Germany in collaboration with the government of the DRC. The campaign will impact both public and private mining sectors in the African country. The investment initiative will focus of ethically sourced, conflict-free copper, cobalt and other key minerals that are essential for electric vehicle batteries and other leading-edge technologies.

Bluetech says it intends to be a driving force between the United States and DRC in developing a sustainable supply chain for the US technology sector, and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has pledged to root out corruption. Bluetech says it will promote environmentally conscious mining along with blockchain-integrated track-and-trace methodologies, anti-corruption efforts and the elimination of child labour exploitation. It says the investment will help create 5,000 jobs in the DRC.

“Bluetech is excited to be working alongside President Tshisekedi and his new administration in support of their mandate to usher in a new era of socially responsible business practices,” says Mutombo, a native of the country who played professional basketball for 18 years, in a statement. “President Tschisekedi’s appointed leadership within the state-owned companies have been highly professional, transparent and effective on our dealings. We anticipate a long and successful partnership with the country. I have waited a lifetime for the opportunity to bring international investment and wealth back to my homeland, and I wholeheartedly believe the time is now,” says Mutombo, who has actively supported the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa for more than 27 years.