On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters gathered in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo to denounce illegal mining activities, as investigations continue into widespread allegations of illicit Chinese involvement in the resource-rich area.
The protest came after South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi arrested three Chinese nationals on Sunday after they were discovered in possession of gold bars and huge sums of cash. Concerns regarding exploitation and governance are heightened by authorities’ suspicion that hundreds of mining companies, the majority of which are Chinese-owned, are operating without the required permissions and neglecting to disclose revenues.
“South Kivu minerals should serve the development and well-being of communities,” read one banner at the demonstration, which was organised by pro-democracy movements and labour unions.
In response to illegal mining activities, local authorities launched a crackdown in July, suspending operations of companies deemed non-compliant with Congolese mining laws. South Kivu, like much of eastern DR Congo, is home to vast deposits of gold, diamonds, and other valuable minerals critical to global industries, including mobile phone and electric vehicle manufacturing.
However, the region’s immense wealth contrasts starkly with decades of conflict, worsened by the resurgence of the M23 rebel group in late 2021. The Congolese government has accused neighbouring Rwanda of supporting the rebels, further destabilising the area.
In 2022, the DRC sought to limit mineral smuggling to Rwanda by providing exclusive rights for regional gold exports to Primera Gold, a 50-50 Emirati-Congolese business. However, the corporation has had difficulty in removing the illicit market because to low financial resources, according to the Bureau of Scientific and Technical Studies (BEST), a Congolese NGO specialising on mining governance.
