A catastrophic landslide has struck a coltan mining operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern region, resulting in what government officials fear to be at least 200 fatalities. The disaster occurred at the militia-controlled Rubaya mine in North Kivu province, an area that has been under the occupation of the M23 armed group since April 2024 with alleged support from neighboring Rwanda.
The communications ministry expressed profound dismay in an official statement, confirming that the massive slope failure likely buried hundreds of artisanal miners who worked under perilous conditions with minimal equipment. According to information obtained by humanitarian sources, the initial collapse occurred Wednesday afternoon, followed by a secondary landslide on Thursday morning, compounding the tragedy.
This mining facility represents a significant portion of global coltan production, responsible for 15-30% of worldwide supply. The rare mineral serves as a critical component in manufacturing electronic devices including smartphones and laptops. Despite an official mining ban implemented in February 2025, between 112 and 125 tonnes continue to be extracted monthly and routed exclusively to Rwanda, according to Congolese authorities.
The remote location and ongoing conflict have severely hampered rescue operations and verification efforts. Phone networks remain inoperative for several days, while civil authorities evacuated when M23 forces seized control. Information emerges sporadically via motorcycle couriers navigating the volatile region, making accurate casualty assessment extremely challenging.
United Nations experts have documented that M23 has established parallel administrative structures to regulate mine operations, generating approximately $800,000 monthly through a seven-dollar-per-kilo taxation system on coltan production and sales. Kinshasa has condemned what it describes as “armed occupation and organized looting” by Rwanda-backed militants, urging international awareness of both the human tragedy and systematic resource exploitation.
Injured survivors have been transported to inadequately equipped local medical facilities, while recovery efforts continue under extremely difficult circumstances in this conflict-ravaged region that has endured three decades of persistent violence.