At Least 200 Feared Dead After Landslide Hits Militia-Held Mine in Eastern DR Congo

By : Mweru Mbugua 

At least 200 people are feared dead following a massive landslide at a militia-controlled mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the government said on Sunday

The disaster struck the Rubaya coltan mine in North Kivu province, an area held by the M23 armed group, which has expanded its control across the resource-rich region since resurfacing in 2021. The group seized the Rubaya mine in April 2024 with alleged support from Rwanda

In a statement to AFP, the Ministry of Communications said a “massive landslide likely left at least 200 dead,” expressing “deep dismay” over the tragedy. The M23-appointed governor of North Kivu, Eraston Bahati Musanga, who visited the site on Friday, also told AFP that at least 200 people had died, though an exact toll could not be confirmed

According to information obtained by AFP, part of a hillside collapsed at the mine on Wednesday afternoon, followed by a second landslide on Thursday morning. Bodies have been recovered from the debris, officials said

Rubaya lies on steep, unstable hillsides crisscrossed by dirt roads that are often impassable during the rainy season. Thousands of artisanal miners work there daily in hazardous conditions, typically using only basic tools such as shovels and rubber boots

The mine produces an estimated 15 to 30 percent of the world’s supply of coltan, a key mineral used in the manufacture of electronic devices including mobile phones and laptops

AFP was unable to independently verify the death toll. Phone networks in the area have been down for several days, while Congolese authorities and civil society groups fled after the M23 took control. A humanitarian source said information was arriving “in dribs and drabs” via motorbike couriers, making accurate assessments difficult

Injured survivors have been taken to nearby health centres that are struggling with limited resources, another humanitarian source said

 Also read : Ruto Condemns Church Attack, Warns Against Political Violence in Places of Worship

Belgium’s embassy in Kinshasa expressed solidarity with victims, posting on X that it stood with those affected by the “tragic landslides.”

Eastern DR Congo, which borders Rwanda and Burundi, has endured decades of conflict. United Nations experts say the M23 has established a parallel administration to manage operations at the Rubaya mine, generating an estimated $800,000 per month through a tax on coltan production

UN experts have also accused Rwanda claims it denies of backing the M23 to exploit Congo’s mineral wealth. Kinshasa on Sunday urged the international community to recognize the scale of the tragedy, blaming it on “armed occupation and an organised system of looting”

The government added that although all mining and commercial activities in Rubaya were officially banned in February 2025, between 112 and 125 tonnes of coltan are still extracted each month and reportedly sent exclusively to Rwanda