Tragic Coltan Mine Collapse in Eastern Congo Claims Over 200 Lives, Report Rebel Authorities

GOMA – In a tragic incident earlier this week, at least 200 individuals lost their lives when a landslide devastated several mines at a prominent coltan mining site in eastern Congo, according to rebel authorities who spoke on Saturday.

The disaster occurred on Wednesday at the Rubaya mines, an area under the control of the M23 rebels. Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, the spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu province, informed The Associated Press that the landslide was triggered by heavy rains.

“Currently, the death toll exceeds 200, with many victims still buried in the mud and yet to be retrieved,” Muyisa stated. He also mentioned that numerous others sustained injuries and have been treated at three medical facilities in the town of Rubaya. Plans are underway to transport the injured to Goma, the closest city located approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) away, using ambulances expected on Saturday.

The rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu has issued a temporary suspension of artisanal mining at the site and has mandated the relocation of residents who had erected makeshift homes near the mines, Muyisa added.

Rubaya is situated in the mineral-rich eastern region of Congo, an area long plagued by conflict involving government forces and various armed groups, including the M23 rebels backed by Rwanda. The recent resurgence of the M23 has intensified the conflict, further aggravating an already dire humanitarian situation.

Over 15% of the world’s supply of tantalum, a rare metal extracted from coltan that is a key component in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines, comes from the Rubaya region.

In May 2024, M23 seized the town and took control of it mines. According to a U.N. report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.

Eastern Congo has been in and out of crisis for decades. Various conflicts have created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with more than 7 million people displaced, including 100,000 who fled homes this year.

Despite the signing of a deal between the Congolese and Rwandan governments brokered by the U.S. and ongoing negotiations between rebels and Congo, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, continuing to claim numerous civilian and military casualties.

The deal between Congo and Rwanda also opens up access to critical minerals for the U.S. government and American companies.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.