Rubaya mining site landslide kills over 200 Congolese miners under the M23-AFC's rampant exploitation

At least 200 dead. Men buried under the earth they were trying to extract to survive. In Rubaya, in the Masisi territory (North Kivu), the landslide that occurred on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Luwowo mining site, in the Gasasa area, goes beyond a simple accident. According to the Congolese government, it is a stark symptom of an illegal mining system that transforms artisanal mines into death traps.

In a statement published on January 31, 2026, the Ministry of Communication and Media expressed the government's solidarity with the victims' families. But beyond compassion, Kinshasa paints a stark picture: this tragedy is a direct consequence of "the rampant and illegal exploitation of Congolese natural resources orchestrated by Rwanda and the M23/AFC."

This tragedy is not an isolated incident. As early as June 2025, more than 300 civilians perished in similar circumstances within the same mining area. For the authorities, these events reflect a recurring pattern in which civilians are exposed to extreme risks in a completely lawless environment.

The government reiterates that the Rubaya mining area has been classified as a "red zone" since February 2025 by ministerial decree, a measure renewed in November 2025. All mining and mineral exploitation activities, including artisanal mining, are strictly prohibited there.

According to the authorities, the mining activities that continue in this area under armed occupation fuel a vast system of organized plunder. Between 112 and 125 tons of coltan are reportedly extracted each month in Rubaya and shipped exclusively to Rwanda, without proper traceability.

Kinshasa also denounces the failure of regional and international mechanisms meant to certify the origin of minerals, particularly the ITRI/ITSCI mechanisms and those of the ICGLR. These systems have allegedly failed to prevent the certification and sale of minerals from sites classified as "red zones."

The government further reiterates that the plundering of natural resources in the context of armed conflict is prohibited by international law, notably by the Hague Conventions (1907) and the Geneva Conventions (1949). It also cites the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which defines such acts as war crimes.

The authorities state their intention to document these facts in order to initiate legal proceedings before the competent courts and reiterate their determination to restore state authority over these sites.