A series of landslides on Thursday, January 29, hit a militia-held mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), killing more than 200 people.
Since its resurgence in 2021, the M23 armed group has seized large areas of eastern DRC, including the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province, which it captured in April 2024 with backing from Rwanda.
Witnesses said part of a hillside in the Rubaya mining zone collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, followed by another landslide on Thursday morning.
The M23-appointed governor of North Kivu, Eraston Bahati Musanga, confirmed that the incident was deadly and said heavy rainfall triggered the landslides.
“For now, there are more than 200 deaths, and some victims have not yet been recovered,” Musanga said.
He added that several people were injured and taken to three health facilities in Rubaya, while ambulances were expected to transfer some of the wounded to Goma, the nearest major city, about 50 kilometres away, on Saturday.
Dozens of local scavengers were still searching through the debris on Friday.
Wearing tank tops and rubber boots, men and women continued to sift through the site despite the risks.
The Rubaya mine produces between 15 and 30 percent of the world’s coltan, a key mineral used in electronics such as laptops and mobile phones.
Since capturing the mine, the M23 has established a parallel administration to oversee its operations.
The group is estimated to earn about $800,000 a month from the mine through a seven-dollar-per-kilogram tax on coltan production and sales.
Beyond coltan, eastern DRC also holds large reserves of gold and tin.
Several international mining companies have temporarily suspended operations in the region due to the M23’s advance.
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