A museum in Belgium and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have a problem. They disagree about old papers and maps.

比利時的一家博物館與剛果民主共和國（DRC）政府目前面臨一個問題，他們對舊文件和地圖存在分歧。

The papers show where minerals are in the DRC. These minerals are very important for money. The DRC government wants these papers now. They want to find more minerals in the ground.

這些文件顯示了剛果民主共和國的礦產分布，而這些礦產對經濟非常重要。剛果政府現在想要這些文件，希望能從地下發現更多礦產。

A company from the USA wants to help. This company wants to put the papers on computers. But Belgium said no. Belgium says the papers are public. They do not want a private company to own them.

一家美國公司希望提供協助，打算將這些文件數位化。但比利時拒絕了，比利時表示這些文件屬於公共資源，不希望由私人公司所有。

Now, Belgium and the EU are working together. They use computers and AI to copy the papers. The museum scientists do this work. They will give some information to the DRC government first.

現在，比利時與歐盟正共同合作，利用電腦和AI來複製這些文件。這項工作由博物館的科學家負責，他們將先向剛果政府提供部分資訊。

The museum will finish the work in four or five years. They will keep the papers but share the information.

博物館將在四到五年內完成這項工作。他們會保留文件，但會分享相關資訊。

The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, Belgium, and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are currently in a disagreement regarding the management and transfer of geological records from the colonial period.

位於比利時特夫雷倫的非洲博物館與剛果民主共和國 (DRC) 政府，目前在殖民時期地質記錄的管理與移交方面存在分歧。

These archives contain detailed handwritten notes about the minerals in the DRC. This mapping began under King Leopold II in 1885 and continued until the country gained independence in 1960. Because the DRC Ministry of Mines believes that 90% of its important mineral deposits—such as cobalt, copper, lithium, and coltan—have not been used yet, these records are very valuable. Consequently, the DRC government has asked for the fast transfer and digitization of these documents to help find these resources.

這些檔案包含關於剛果民主共和國礦產的詳細手寫筆記。這種地圖繪製始於 1885 年利奧波德二世時期，並一直持續到 1960 年該國獨立。由於剛果民主共和國礦業部認為 90% 的重要礦藏——例如鈷、銅、鋰和鈳鉭鐵礦——尚未被開發，因此這些記錄非常寶貴。因此，剛果民主共和國政府要求快速移交並將這些文件數位化，以協助尋找這些資源。

To achieve this, a US-based private company called KoBold Metals, funded by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, offered to digitize the archives for public use. However, the AfricaMuseum and the Belgian government rejected this offer. Director Bart Ouvry and spokesperson Florinda Baleci emphasized that the archives are public property. They asserted that allowing a foreign company to privatize these records would be unethical and illegal. Furthermore, the museum stated that the 2022 Belgian law about returning colonial collections does not apply to archival documents.

為了實現這一目標，一家由傑夫·貝佐斯與比爾·蓋茲資助的美國私人公司 KoBold Metals 提議將這些檔案數位化以供大眾使用。然而，非洲博物館與比利時政府拒絕了這一提議。館長 Bart Ouvry 與發言人 Florinda Baleci 強調，這些檔案是公共財產。他們主張，允許外國公司將這些記錄私有化是不道德且違法的。此外，博物館表示，2022 年比利時關於歸還殖民收藏品的法律並不適用於檔案文件。

Despite this disagreement, an official digitization project is now happening with support from the European Union and the National Geological Survey of the DRC. This project uses artificial intelligence and is managed by museum scientists to ensure the work is accurate. Although the museum denied that the US government pressured them, they have agreed to prioritize the transfer of data for three specific regions that are strategically important to the Congolese government.

儘管存在分歧，在歐盟與剛果民主共和國國家地質調查局的支持下，一個官方數位化項目目前正在進行。該項目利用人工智慧，並由博物館科學家管理，以確保工作的準確性。雖然博物館否認受到美國政府的壓力，但他們已同意優先移交三個對剛果政府具有戰略重要性地區的數據。

The AfricaMuseum plans to finish digitizing the entire archive within four to five years. They intend to keep control of the process while providing the DRC government with limited access to the data.

非洲博物館計劃在四到五年內完成整個檔案庫的數位化。他們打算在向剛果民主共和國政府提供有限數據存取權的同時，繼續掌控整個過程。

The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, Belgium, and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are currently engaged in a disagreement concerning the management and transfer of colonial-era geological records.

比利時特爾夫倫的非洲博物館與剛果民主共和國（DRC）政府，目前就殖民時期地質記錄的管理與移交問題存在分歧。

The archives in question comprise extensive handwritten documentation detailing the mineralogical mapping of the DRC during the Belgian colonial administration, which commenced under King Leopold II in 1885 and transitioned to a formal colony in 1908 until independence in 1960. Given that the DRC Ministry of Mines estimates that 90% of its critical mineral deposits—including cobalt, copper, lithium, and coltan—remain untapped, these records possess significant economic utility. Consequently, the DRC government has sought the expedited transfer and digitization of these materials to facilitate resource identification.

涉案檔案包含大量手寫文件，詳細記錄了比利時殖民管理時期剛果民主共和國的礦物分佈圖。該管理期始於 1885 年利奧波德二世國王，於 1908 年正式轉為殖民地，直到 1960 年獨立。鑑於剛果民主共和國礦業部估計，其 90% 的關鍵礦產儲量（包括鈷、銅、鋰與�鈳鉭鈮）仍未開發，這些記錄具有顯著的經濟價值。因此，剛果民主共和國政府尋求加速移交並將這些資料數位化，以利於資源識別。

This objective has led to the involvement of KoBold Metals, a US-based private entity funded by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. KoBold Metals has proposed to undertake the digitization of the archives to ensure public accessibility. However, the AfricaMuseum and the Belgian government have rejected this proposal. Director Bart Ouvry and spokesperson Florinda Baleci have asserted that the archives constitute public property and that the privatization of such records via a foreign corporate entity would be unethical and legally impermissible. Furthermore, the museum maintains that the 2022 Belgian law regarding the restitution of colonial collections does not extend to archival materials.

此目標導致了一家由傑夫·貝佐斯與比爾·蓋茨資助的美國私人實體 KoBold Metals 的介入。KoBold Metals 提議承接檔案的數位化工作以確保公眾可查閱。然而，非洲博物館與比利時政府拒絕了此提議。館長 Bart Ouvry 與發言人 Florinda Baleci 主張，這些檔案屬於公共財產，透過外國企業實體將此類記錄私有化是不道德且法律上不允許的。此外，博物館認為 2022 年比利時關於歸還殖民收藏品的法律並不延伸至檔案資料。

Notwithstanding this impasse, a state-sanctioned digitization project is currently underway, supported by the European Union and conducted in collaboration with the National Geological Survey of the DRC. This initiative utilizes artificial intelligence and is managed by museum scientists to ensure academic integrity. While the museum has denied allegations of external political pressure from the US administration, it has agreed to prioritize the transfer of data pertaining to three specific regions of high strategic importance to the Congolese government.

儘管陷入僵局，一個由歐盟支持並與剛果民主共和國國家地質調查局合作的政府授權數位化項目目前正在進行中。此計劃利用人工智慧，並由博物館科學家管理以確保學術完整性。雖然博物館否認受到美國政府的外部政治壓力，但已同意優先移交與剛果政府具有高度戰略重要性的三個特定區域之數據。

The AfricaMuseum intends to complete the full digitization of the archive within four to five years, maintaining institutional control over the process while providing limited access to the DRC government.

非洲博物館擬在四至五年內完成檔案的全數位化，在維持機構對過程控制權的同時，向剛果民主共和國政府提供有限的查閱權。