Over 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC
Over 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC
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More than 200 people lost their lives this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, The Guardian reported.
Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum – a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, where local people dig manually for a few dollars a day, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday and the precise toll was still unclear as of Friday evening.
According to the source, the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu has temporarily halted artisanal mining on the site and ordered the relocation of residents who had built shelters near the mine. The landslide was caused by heavy rains, it added.
The UN says M23 has plundered Rubaya’s riches to help fund its insurgency, backed by the government of neighbouring Rwanda – an allegation Kigali denies.
The heavily armed rebels, whose stated aim is to overthrow the government in Kinshasa and ensure the safety of the Congolese Tutsi minority, captured even more mineral-rich territory in eastern Congo during a lightning advance last year.
