The DRC's mining sector is central to development policies, which are banking on a macro-economic recovery, massively backed by foreign investments, to help the country in its "fight against poverty". A reform of the mining sector was initiated by international financial institutions (the IMF and the World Bank), and has been integrated into the development programs implemented in the DRC, leading to the liberalization of the mining sector. This article reflects on the process used to craft the mining sector reform and on the challenges involved in enforcing it within the broader context of national reconstruction.