M23 rebels are organising adjust over key mineral-prosperous territories in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Worldwide locations consultants like warned.
The Tutsi-led rebels, full of life in North and South Kivu provinces, like seized key cities since April 2024 – allegedly with give a enhance to from Rwandan forces, though Kigali denies supporting the rebels and says it’s miles committed to a ceasefire and peace talks.
The document accuses M23 of developing shadow administrations to explot strategic mines and commerce 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 Security Council’s Community of Experts stated of their document, released Wednesday.
The rebels are also accused of using forced labour to get larger roads, and patrolling mining areas to make certain minerals had been only offered to approved Congolese and Rwandan merchants.
The UN document stated M23 used to be financing its operations by exporting minerals from areas under its adjust, in conjunction with coltan, a helpful resource old in electronics be pleased smartphones and computer systems.
The added that M23 had created a “mining ministry” to oversee coltan exports from Rubaya, home to 1 of the field’s biggest 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 stated.
The continued territorial expansion has continued regardless of agreed ceasefires, suggesting M23’s real aim is long-time interval occupation and exploitation of conquered areas, the UN consultants added.
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A global be troubled
The UN document highlights concerns about how M23’s actions would possibly well per chance per chance affect worldwide electronics producers, which face stress to get obvious war-free offer chains.
Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of using war minerals in its offer chain.
Apple disputes the claims, asserting it requires its suppliers to withhold faraway from sourcing from the gap.
Warfare-mineral prison guidelines within the US and EU require companies to hint the origins of minerals from regions be pleased eastern Congo. Nonetheless, a 2022 World Behold document stated such regulations like didn’t discontinue irregular commerce.
Within the intervening time the renewed violence has displaced extra than 100,000 of us in North Kivu since early 2025, reaching ranges no longer seen in over a decade. This provides to the thousands and thousands already displaced since M23’s resurgence in 2021.
DRC case against Apple brings glossy hope in war minerals disaster
Protests
Within the intervening time, several hundred of us demonstrated in Bukavu, South Kivu, on Wednesday to yelp illegal mining within the country’s east, the build authorities are investigating claims of favorite illicit Chinese involvement.
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The gathering adopted the announcement on Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese nationals checklist in possession of gold bars and worthy sums of money, in accordance with South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi.
Local authorities within the helpful resource-prosperous province relate hundreds of mining companies, mainly Chinese, extract gold with out declaring profits and often with out real working permits.
“South Kivu minerals should serve the development and well-being of communities,” learn one banner held aloft on the demonstration, called by pro-democracy actions and unions.
(with newswires)
