M23 rebels are organising regulate over key mineral-effectively off territories in jap Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Countries consultants have warned.
The Tutsi-led rebels, energetic in North and South Kivu provinces, have seized key towns since April 2024 – allegedly with abet from Rwandan forces, though Kigali denies supporting the rebels and says it is dedicated to a ceasefire and peace talks.
The characterize accuses M23 of developing 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 Security Council’s Group of Experts acknowledged in their characterize, released Wednesday.
The rebels are additionally accused of the usage of forced labour to construct better roads, and patrolling mining areas to make certain minerals were exclusively sold to authorised Congolese and Rwandan traders.
The UN characterize acknowledged M23 used to be financing its operations by exporting minerals from areas underneath its regulate, together with coltan, a resource frail in electronics take care of smartphones and computers.
The added that M23 had created a “mining ministry” to oversee coltan exports from Rubaya, dwelling to one of the arena’s ideal 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 characterize acknowledged.
The continuing territorial growth has continued despite agreed ceasefires, suggesting M23’s factual goal is prolonged-term occupation and exploitation of conquered areas, the UN consultants added.
Macron urges Rwanda to cease abet for DRC M23 rebels, withdraw troops
A world sing
The UN characterize highlights concerns about how M23’s actions can even have an trace on world electronics producers, which face stress to make certain war-free offer chains.
Congo has filed criminal complaints towards Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of the usage of war minerals in its offer chain.
Apple disputes the claims, announcing it requires its suppliers to beget far from sourcing from the space.
Warfare-mineral regulations in the US and EU require companies to impress the origins of minerals from regions take care of jap Congo. On the opposite hand, a 2022 Global Focal point on characterize acknowledged such rules have failed to cease irregular trade.
In the meantime the renewed violence has displaced better than 100,000 folks in North Kivu since early 2025, reaching ranges no longer considered in over a decade. This adds to the hundreds of thousands already displaced since M23’s resurgence in 2021.
DRC case towards Apple brings new hope in war minerals crisis
Protests
In the meantime, a number of hundred folks demonstrated in Bukavu, South Kivu, on Wednesday to sing unlawful mining in the nation’s east, where authorities are investigating claims of frequent illicit Chinese involvement.
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The gathering adopted the announcement on Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese nationals indicate in possession of gold bars and mammoth sums of cash, in step with South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi.
Local authorities in the resource-effectively off province convey a total bunch of mining companies, primarily Chinese, extract gold without declaring profits and often without official working permits.
“South Kivu minerals should serve the development and well-being of communities,” read one banner held aloft on the demonstration, called by pro-democracy movements and unions.
(with newswires)
