M23 rebels are setting up preserve an eye fixed on over key mineral-prosperous territories in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Countries consultants comprise warned.
The Tutsi-led rebels, active in North and South Kivu provinces, comprise seized key cities since April 2024 – allegedly with give a enhance to from Rwandan forces, though Kigali denies supporting the rebels and says it is a ways committed to a ceasefire and peace talks.
The document accuses M23 of setting up shadow administrations to explot strategic mines and trade routes.
“This constitutes the most important contamination of supply chains with ineligible minerals recorded in the Great Lakes region over the last decade,” the UN Safety Council’s Crew of Consultants mentioned of their document, launched Wednesday.
The rebels are additionally accused of the use of compelled labour to amplify roads, and patrolling mining areas to electrify obvious minerals had been excellent offered to authorized Congolese and Rwandan merchants.
The UN document mentioned M23 used to be financing its operations by exporting minerals from areas below its preserve an eye fixed on, including coltan, a resource ancient in electronics luxuriate in smartphones and computers.
The added that M23 had created a “mining ministry” to oversee coltan exports from Rubaya, house to 1 of the enviornment’s greatest deposits of the mineral.
“In this way, the militants collected at least $800,000 per month in taxes on coltan production and trade in Rubaya”, the document mentioned.
The ongoing territorial growth has continued regardless of agreed ceasefires, suggesting M23’s apt honest is prolonged-timeframe occupation and exploitation of conquered areas, the UN consultants added.
Macron urges Rwanda to cease give a enhance to for DRC M23 rebels, withdraw troops
A worldwide region
The UN document highlights considerations about how M23’s actions might per chance presumably have an effect on global electronics manufacturers, which face pressure to electrify obvious battle-free present chains.
Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech agency of the use of battle minerals in its present chain.
Apple disputes the claims, announcing it requires its suppliers to steer sure of sourcing from the situation.
Battle-mineral authorized guidelines within the US and EU require firms to keep the origins of minerals from areas luxuriate in eastern Congo. Alternatively, a 2022 Global Glimpse document mentioned such rules comprise did not stop irregular trade.
Meanwhile the renewed violence has displaced larger than 100,000 of us in North Kivu since early 2025, reaching ranges no longer considered in over a decade. This provides to the thousands and thousands already displaced since M23’s resurgence in 2021.
DRC case against Apple brings new hope in battle minerals disaster
Protests
Meanwhile, several hundred of us demonstrated in Bukavu, South Kivu, on Wednesday to narrate illegal mining within the nation’s east, where authorities are investigating claims of frequent illicit Chinese involvement.
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The gathering followed the announcement on Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese nationals reward in possession of gold bars and sizable sums of cash, in line with South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi.
Local authorities within the resource-prosperous province advise a full bunch of mining firms, mainly Chinese, extract gold without declaring profits and often without decent working permits.
“South Kivu minerals should serve the development and well-being of communities,” be taught one banner held aloft at the demonstration, called by pro-democracy movements and unions.
(with newswires)
