South Kivu Governor Halts All Mining to Combat Chaos and Violence

In Summary

• The governor of South Kivu province in eastern Congo has ordered the suspension of all mining activities to restore order in the violence-plagued, mineral-rich region.
• The suspension aims to preserve human lives and ensure the traceability of mineral production, giving mining companies and cooperatives 72 hours to leave the sites.
• The economic impact is uncertain, but thousands of residents depend on mining, and the region has been troubled by armed groups competing for resources.

Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo- On Friday, the governor of South Kivu province in eastern Congo mandated the halt of all mining operations to "restore order" in the violence-stricken, mineral-rich area.

Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki announced the suspension of mining activities indefinitely due to "the disorder caused by mining operators," without providing further details. The goal is to "restore order to mining throughout the Province and to preserve not only human lives but also the traceability of mineral production in these sites."

Local authorities have given mining companies, businesses, and cooperatives 72 hours to vacate the mining sites. It remains unclear whether the order will be enforced, especially in areas controlled by armed groups. The economic impact of this decision is also uncertain, as thousands of residents in this gold- and coltan-rich province depend on mining.

Many Chinese companies are involved in mining gold and other minerals in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo troubled by armed groups for nearly three decades. The security situation has worsened recently as the military combats militias.

Attacks on quarries and mining cooperatives are common, with over 120 armed groups vying for land and resources in eastern Congo. Earlier this month, a militia attack on a gold mine in Ituri province resulted in the deaths of six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers.

In August 2021, the former governor of South Kivu also suspended mining activities of six Chinese mining companies in the Mwenga territory to protect local interests and the environment. However, political pressure led to the lifting of the suspension, and a parliamentary inquiry's findings were never published.

At the time, the government was renegotiating a $6.2 billion mining contract with China, which was deemed unprofitable for the Central African nation since its signing in 2008. The opacity surrounding the exploitation and sale of Congolese gold is frequently criticized, with UN reports indicating significant volumes of smuggled gold.

Bienvenu Mapendo, president of the Federation of Congolese Enterprises in South Kivu, stated that the suspension would negatively impact the province's economy, affecting communities reliant on mining activities. He expressed a desire to meet with provincial authorities to understand the reasons behind the decision.