Overview
- Two landslides struck the Rubaya mining perimeter on January 28 and 29 in the Luwowo sector about 70 kilometers west of Goma, according to partial reports.
- The death toll remains unconfirmed as phone networks are down and access is restricted, though the M23-appointed provincial governor says bodies have been recovered.
- Rubaya, estimated to produce 15–30% of global coltan, has been under M23 control since April 2024, with UN experts reporting a state-like system that issues permits and taxes mining.
- Kinshasa says it banned exploitation at Rubaya in February 2025 but alleges 112–125 tonnes of coltan are still extracted monthly and moved to Rwanda, and it is urging international attention to what it calls organized pillage.
- Thousands of artisanal miners work on unstable slopes with minimal safety, and local clinics with limited resources are treating the injured.