M23 rebels are organising alter over key mineral-rich territories in jap Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Worldwide locations consultants possess warned.
The Tutsi-led rebels, active in North and South Kivu provinces, possess seized key cities since April 2024 – allegedly with improve from Rwandan forces, even supposing Kigali denies supporting the rebels and says it’s dedicated to a ceasefire and peace talks.
The file accuses M23 of atmosphere up shadow administrations to explot strategic mines and alternate 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 Community of Experts acknowledged of their file, launched Wednesday.
The rebels are furthermore accused of using forced labour to amplify roads, and patrolling mining areas to be optimistic minerals were handiest sold to authorised Congolese and Rwandan traders.
The UN file acknowledged M23 used to be financing its operations by exporting minerals from areas under its alter, including coltan, a resource frail in electronics adore smartphones and computer programs.
The added that M23 had created a “mining ministry” to supervise coltan exports from Rubaya, home to at least one of the field’s ultimate 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 file acknowledged.
The continuing territorial growth has continued regardless of agreed ceasefires, suggesting M23’s aesthetic aim is long-term occupation and exploitation of conquered areas, the UN consultants added.
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A world topic
The UN file highlights concerns about how M23’s actions can possess an affect on world electronics manufacturers, which face stress to accomplish optimistic warfare-free supply chains.
Congo has filed prison complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech agency of using warfare minerals in its supply chain.
Apple disputes the claims, asserting it requires its suppliers to lead clear of sourcing from the plan.
War-mineral rules within the US and EU require companies to hint the origins of minerals from areas adore jap Congo. Nonetheless, a 2022 World Seek file acknowledged such rules possess did now not stop irregular alternate.
Within the intervening time the renewed violence has displaced better than 100,000 contributors in North Kivu since early 2025, reaching phases now not considered in over a decade. This adds to the hundreds of thousands already displaced since M23’s resurgence in 2021.
DRC case against Apple brings contemporary hope in warfare minerals disaster
Protests
Within the intervening time, a number of hundred contributors demonstrated in Bukavu, South Kivu, on Wednesday to deliver illegal mining within the country’s east, the put authorities are investigating claims of well-liked illicit Chinese involvement.
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The gathering adopted the announcement on Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese nationals found in possession of gold bars and expansive sums of cash, in accordance with South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi.
Native authorities within the resource-rich province snort hundreds of mining companies, mainly Chinese, extract gold without declaring profits and often without valid working permits.
“South Kivu minerals should serve the development and well-being of communities,” read one banner held aloft on the demonstration, known as by pro-democracy movements and unions.
(with newswires)
