Congolese rebels earn $300,000 a month from mines they seized news

Rebels strengthened in the east Democratic Republic of the Congo They took control of the Rubaya coltan mining area and imposed an excise tax expected to generate monthly revenues of about $300,000, the UN Security Council reported on Monday.

The M-23 movement, a Tutsi-led organization that Rwanda accuses of supporting, seized control of the area that produces metals used in smartphones and computers, following heavy fighting last April.

Bintou Keita, head of the UN mission in Congo, told the Security Council that trade in minerals in the Rubaya region represents more than 15% of global tantalum supplies.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's largest producer of tantalum, which the United States and the European Union consider an important mineral. “This generates revenue estimated at about $300,000 per month for the armed group,” Keita said. “This is very worrying and must stop.”

Congolese M-23 rebels in Kibumba, Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Reuters)

“The criminal laundering of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s natural resources smuggled out of the country strengthens the influence of armed groups, perpetuates the exploitation of civilian populations, some of whom are subject to de facto slavery, and undermines peacemaking efforts,” Keita added.

The majority of mineral resources are located in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region suffering from conflict over lands and resources between several armed factions, and the situation has deteriorated since the return of the M23 insurgency in 2022.

Thousands have been killed and more than a million people displaced since renewed fighting.

Manufacturers are subject to scrutiny to ensure that metals used in products such as laptop computers and electric car batteries do not come from conflict zones such as eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

As mining profits rise, armed groups have military projects, enhancing their power and influence, Keita said. The head of the United Nations mission in Congo added, “Unless international sanctions are imposed on those who benefit from this criminal trade, peace will remain elusive, and civilians will continue to suffer.”

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