A recent investigation by human rights organization Justicia ASBL has revealed that approximately 5,000 military and police personnel are present in mining sites in the Haut-Katanga and Lualaba regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These individuals are involved in artisanal, industrial, and semi-industrial mining activities. This presence is in defiance of an order by President Félix Tshisekedi to withdraw military personnel from mining concessions.
The investigation found that the military personnel present in these mining sites include members of the 22nd military region, under-officers from the Mura training center, members of the Republican Guard, and police officers. In the Lualaba province, armed men are occupying several mining quarries, including those at Kakanda Nord, Mupampala, Kiona 2, Mokondo, Kiwana, Kimpese, and Menda, within the concession of the Boss Mining company.
Justicia ASBL also discovered that 80% of the Comide mining concession, covering an area of 34 kilometers, is occupied by military personnel, particularly in the Kisankala and Kamasani zones. Some of these military personnel were deployed to these sites following a decision by the military justice system. According to Timothée Mbuya, coordinator of Justicia ASBL, around 5,000 military personnel are present in mining sites across the Grand Katanga region.
The organization accuses these military personnel of engaging in illegal industrial and semi-industrial mining activities under the supervision of politically exposed individuals, including members of the presidential family and regime dignitaries. These activities are being carried out without the authorization of the companies holding the relevant mining rights, in violation of the Congolese Mining Code and international treaties.
The investigation highlights that access to certain militarized mining sites is subject to authorization from high-ranking military officials. Justicia ASBL warns that the presence of armed forces in copper and cobalt mining poses a risk of these resources being classified as "blood minerals" due to potential human rights violations surrounding their extraction.
The organization is calling on the Congolese authorities to enforce the president's decision to withdraw military personnel from mining sites. They believe that effective implementation of this measure would allow companies legally holding mining titles to exploit their concessions in accordance with existing legislation. This would help to prevent human rights abuses and ensure that mining activities are carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner.
The involvement of military personnel in mining activities has significant implications for the region and the country as a whole. It is essential that the authorities take concrete steps to address this issue and ensure that mining activities are carried out in a way that benefits local communities and contributes to the country's economic development.
Key points
- Around 5,000 military and police personnel are involved in mining activities in the Haut-Katanga and Lualaba regions of DR Congo.
- The military personnel are involved in artisanal, industrial, and semi-industrial mining activities, in defiance of a presidential order to withdraw them from mining concessions.
- The presence of armed forces in copper and cobalt mining poses a risk of these resources being classified as "blood minerals" due to potential human rights violations.
