GOMA, Congo — Congolese officials report that more than 200 people perished when a coltan mining operation collapsed Tuesday in the country’s eastern region, though the armed group controlling the facility strongly contests that death toll.
The deadly incident occurred at the Rubaya mining complex, which falls under the control of M23 rebels, according to a Wednesday statement from Congo’s Ministry of Mines. This marks another tragic mining accident in the nation’s mineral-wealthy territories dominated by armed groups.
M23 senior official Fanny Kaj challenged the government’s casualty figures, claiming the destruction resulted from bombing attacks rather than a structural failure and asserting only five fatalities occurred.
“I can confirm that what people are publishing is not true. There was no landslide; there were bombings, and the death toll isn’t what people are saying. It’s simply about five people who died,” Kaj stated.
However, Ibrahim Taluseke, who works at the mining site, contradicted the rebel account, saying he personally assisted in retrieving more than 200 bodies from the disaster zone.
“We are afraid, but these are lives that are in danger,” Taluseke explained. “The owners of the pits do not accept that the exact number of deaths be revealed.”
The Rubaya facility sits in eastern Congo’s core region, an area abundant in valuable minerals but devastated by decades of warfare involving government troops and various militant organizations, including the Rwanda-supported M23 group. The rebels’ recent comeback has intensified the ongoing conflict and deepened the humanitarian emergency.
Congo stands as a leading global source of coltan, a dark metallic mineral containing tantalum, an essential element for manufacturing smartphones, computers and aircraft engines.
According to U.S. Geological Survey data, the Central African nation supplied approximately 40% of worldwide coltan production in 2023, with Australia, Canada and Brazil serving as other major producers. The Rubaya operations alone account for more than 15% of global tantalum supply.
M23 forces captured the town and seized control of its mining operations in May 2024. A United Nations investigation revealed that since taking Rubaya, the rebels have levied taxes on coltan trade and transportation, earning no less than $800,000 monthly.
Eastern Congo has experienced recurring crises spanning multiple decades. Ongoing conflicts have generated one of the planet’s most severe humanitarian disasters, displacing over 7 million residents, with more than 300,000 forced from their homes since December alone.
The Congolese and Rwandan governments signed a U.S.-mediated peace agreement in June, with ongoing negotiations between rebel forces and Congo continuing. Nevertheless, combat persists across multiple battlegrounds in eastern Congo, resulting in continued civilian and military casualties.
The diplomatic accord between Congo and Rwanda also provides the U.S. government and American corporations with access to essential minerals.
A comparable mining collapse occurred last month, resulting in over 200 deaths.
