A major landslide this past week killed at least two hundred people at the Rubaya mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) North Kivu province, according to statements made by the local governor on Sunday. The DRC government confirmed fears of "at least 200 dead" following the accident at the militia-controlled operation in the country's east.
The Rubaya mine is a strategically significant asset, reportedly producing between 15% and 30% of the world's coltan, a mineral essential for manufacturing capacitors in electronic devices. The area has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since it was seized in April 2024, allegedly with support from Rwanda, according to Congolese authorities.
Scavengers indicated that the initial hillside collapse occurred Wednesday afternoon, followed by a second slide on Thursday morning. Eraston Bahati Musanga, the M23-appointed governor, confirmed the casualty count of "at least 200 deaths" to AFP, though independent verification remains challenging.
Information flow in the region is severely restricted, as phone networks have been down for several days and Congolese authorities fled when the M23 advanced. A humanitarian source noted that data arrives slowly via motorbike couriers, complicating efforts to establish a precise death toll.
Experts estimate that the M23 generates approximately $800,000 monthly from the mine through a tax of seven dollars per kilogram on coltan production and sales. This revenue stream highlights the economic motivation behind the M23's territorial control over the DRC’s mineral-rich eastern territories.
Kinshasa issued an urgent appeal to the international community on Sunday, attributing the tragedy to the "armed occupation and an organised system of looting" perpetrated by the Rwanda-backed militia. UN experts have previously accused Rwanda of using the M23 to siphon mineral wealth from the DRC, allegations Kigali consistently denies.
The broader eastern DRC region contains significant global reserves of coltan, alongside substantial deposits of gold and tin, making security and resource governance central geopolitical concerns for the Great Lakes region.
