M23 got US $800,000 on taxes from export of miners from Rubaya

 The report by the United Nations Group of Experts published on Wednesday reveals that the AFC-M23 coalition has established a sophisticated system of control over the extraction, trade and export of coltan from Rubaya, in North Kivu province, thus generating significant financial resources for its activities.

According to experts, at least 150 tonnes of coltan were fraudulently exported to Rwanda from the Rubaya mines, where the AFC-M23 has established a parallel administration. These minerals were mixed with Rwandan production, leading to major contamination of the supply chains of the so-called “3T” minerals (tin, tantalum and tungsten) in the Great Lakes region. This mixture has been described as the largest contamination of its kind recorded in the last ten years.

The AFC-M23 coalition made significant profits from this illegal mining. Taxes on coltan production and trade in Rubaya brought in approximately $800,000 per month. A tax of $7 per kilogram was imposed on coltan and manganese, and $4 on tin (cassiterite). These funds allowed the AFC-M23 to finance its military operations and consolidate its territorial control.

The report said the coalition controlled the roads linking Rubaya to the Rwandan border, including through towns such as Mushaki, Kirolirwe, Kitshanga and Kibumba. Coltan convoys, comprising vehicles capable of carrying up to five tonnes per load, regularly passed through these routes on their way to Rwanda. Satellite imagery showed that the convoys were routed to a parking lot near the Kibumba market before being transferred to trucks from Rwanda.

In Rubaya, the AFC-M23 established a quasi-state administration, with a “ministry” in charge of mining. Permits were issued to miners and economic operators, for annual fees of $25 to $250. Miners’ salaries were doubled to encourage them to stay in the area, but coercive measures, such as armed patrols and arbitrary detentions, were applied to ensure that minerals were only sold to operators authorized by the coalition.

Experts point out that the fraudulent extraction and export of minerals has not only benefited the AFC-M23, but also the Rwandan economy, which has integrated these resources into its own production circuits.

This situation, which illustrates a systematic exploitation of natural resources for military and economic purposes, continues to fuel regional tensions and compromise stabilization efforts in the east of  DRC.