At least 200 killed in mine collapse in eastern Congo
At least 200 people were killed when several mines at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo collapsed in a landslide, rebel officials said.
Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesman for the rebel-appointed governor of North-Kivu province, told The Associated Press that a collapse occurred Wednesday at the Rubaya mines controlled by M23 rebels.
He said that the landslide was caused by heavy rains.
“For now there are more than 200 dead, some of whom are still in the mud and have not yet been rescued,” Muyisa said. he said.
Many people were injured and taken to three medical facilities in the town of Rubaya, the official said, adding that ambulances were expected to transfer the injured to the nearest city, Goma, about 50 km away, on Saturday.
Muyisa said the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu had temporarily halted artisanal mining in the area and ordered residents who had built shelters near the mine to be resettled elsewhere.
Rubaya is located in the heart of Eastern Congo, a mineral-rich region of the Central African country; This region has been torn apart for decades by violence by government forces and different armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23. The recent resurgence of M23 is escalating the conflict, worsening an already acute humanitarian crisis.
More than 15 percent of the world’s supply of tantalum, a rare metal extracted from coltan that is a key ingredient in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines, comes from the Rubaya region.
In May 2024, M23 captured the town and took control of the mines. After capturing Rubaya, the rebels imposed taxes on the trade and transportation of coltan, generating revenues of at least $800,000 a month, according to the UN report.
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 seven million people displaced this year, including 100,000 people who fled their homes.
Despite the signing of a US-brokered agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments and ongoing negotiations between the rebels and Congo, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, resulting in numerous civilian and military casualties.
The agreement between Congo and Rwanda also opens up access to critical minerals for the US government and American companies.
