By Desmond Nleya
Democratic Republic of Congo — More than 200 people are feared dead after torrential rains triggered devastating landslides at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this week, officials and witnesses have confirmed.
The mine, located in North Kivu province, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024. Heavy rainfall caused the ground to collapse, burying miners and nearby residents under tons of mud and debris.
“It rained heavily, then the land gave way and swept people away,” said miner Franck Bolingo. “Some were buried alive, others died inside the mining shafts. Many are still trapped.”
A spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, said the victims include artisanal miners, children and market vendors who were operating near the site at the time of the disaster. At least 20 injured people are receiving treatment, with some transferred to hospitals in Goma, about 50 kilometres away.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, but authorities warn that the death toll is likely to rise as more bodies are recovered from the collapsed pits.
In response to the tragedy, the provincial administration has temporarily suspended artisanal mining activities at Rubaya and ordered the relocation of families who had built makeshift shelters close to the mine.
Rubaya is one of the world’s most significant sources of coltan, producing an estimated 15 percent of global supply. The mineral is essential in the manufacture of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines. The United Nations has previously accused the M23 group of exploiting the mine’s vast mineral wealth to finance its insurgency.
The area lies at the centre of the mineral-rich eastern DRC, a region long plagued by armed conflict involving government forces and multiple rebel groups. Since re-emerging in 2021, M23 has seized large swathes of territory, displacing thousands of civilians.
Despite a US-brokered agreement between the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, as well as ongoing negotiations between Kinshasa and the rebels, fighting continues across several fronts in the region, further complicating humanitarian and security efforts.
