Amnesty International: M23 Fighters Abused Miners, Facilitated Gold and Coltan Trafficking from DR Congo to Rwanda
Amnesty International: M23 Fighters Abused Miners, Facilitated Gold and Coltan Trafficking from DR Congo to Rwanda
————————————-
Amnesty International said in a new briefing that M23 fighters carried out widespread abuses at mining sites in North and South Kivu provinces while controlling access to mineral resources, particularly gold and coltan.
The report, titled “DRC: We didn’t come to play: M23 abuses at artisanal mines and the trafficking of gold and coltan to Rwanda,” documented allegations of summary executions, torture, ill-treatment, forced recruitment and forced labour involving miners in areas including Rubaya’s coltan mines and Lomera’s gold mining site.
According to Amnesty, miners were forced to work under harsh conditions, including spending extended periods underground, and were punished for refusing to hand over minerals or for demanding breaks. The organization said some abuses may constitute war crimes under international law.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard said the alleged abuses were linked to the exploitation and cross-border trafficking of minerals, accusing Rwanda of continuing to benefit from the DRC’s mineral wealth. Rwanda’s government and M23 did not respond to Amnesty’s requests for comment, according to the organization.
The report also alleged that gold and coltan from M23-controlled areas were transported through established smuggling routes into Rwanda, with evidence gathered from witness testimonies and visual documentation.
Amnesty said it documented the killing of 18 miners and civilians at the Rubaya and Lomera sites, while others reported torture, detention and forced recruitment. The organization called on governments and companies to prevent the purchase of minerals linked to abuses and urged stronger international oversight of mining operations in conflict-affected areas.
M23 controls several mining areas in eastern DRC, where thousands of local residents depend on artisanal mining for their livelihoods. The group’s activities and alleged links to Rwanda have been the subject of international concern and diplomatic disputes.
