ONU RDC Est: Minerais Fuel Conflict, Delegate Testifies on Illicit Trade

• Néné Bintou Iragi testified to the UN Security Council on September 29, 2026, describing the Eastern DRC as being in a state of collapse due to security, humanitarian, and human rights crises.
• The conflict is primarily an economic war, with armed groups forcing artisanal miners to extract cassiterite, coltan, and gold, which are then illegally taxed and exported.
• Minerals are often mixed with 'clean' ones to mask their origin, with each ton of illegally exported coltan funding arms and child recruitment.
• The humanitarian situation is dire, with nearly 10 million forced displacements and 800,000 people in Sud-Kivu lacking assistance, while human rights defenders and journalists face severe repression.
• The delegate emphasized that irresponsible international purchases of these minerals fuel the conflict, calling for greater accountability and robust due diligence in global supply chains.

This irresponsible purchase is the fuel that ignites Nord and Sud-Kivu right now. As long as one can kill to control a mine and sell its product internationally without being bothered, the war will never stop.

During a United Nations Security Council session held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Néné Bintou Iragi, a civil society delegate representing Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, and Ituri, presented a stark assessment of the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She declared that the region is no longer merely in crisis but experiencing a profound collapse, marked by severe security, humanitarian, and human rights challenges. Her testimony highlighted the establishment of a parallel administration by the AFC/M23 group in parts of Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu, which imposes illegal taxes on local populations and carries out targeted abuses against civilians.

Ms. Iragi detailed a deliberate strategy of terror observed in areas such as Kanyola, Luntukulu, Kabare, Walungu, Kalehe, Bukavu, and Goma. Residents in these localities face assassinations, arson, collective punishments, and detentions in facilities where family visits are denied. At the core of her intervention, Ms. Iragi asserted that the ongoing conflict in the Est of the RDC is fundamentally an economic war, driven by the exploitation of valuable minerais, directly linking the violence to illicit financing of armed groups.

The delegate's account revealed how artisanal miners are compelled to extract cassiterite, coltan, and gold under duress from armed groups in numerous locations, including Kanyola, Minembwe, Karembo, Lomera, Luhihi, Luhwindja, Rubaya, and Ituri. These raw materials are then subjected to taxation at their source before being transported to major hubs like Bukavu or Goma. A critical element of this illicit trade involves mixing these conflict minerals with those presented as legitimate, a practice designed to mask their true origin, before they are exported through various commercial channels.

This illegal exploitation and trade of RDC minerais directly contributes to the financement conflit, with each ton of illegally exported coltan reportedly funding the acquisition of weapons and the recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups. A significant portion of gold, cassiterite, and coltan also exits Congolese territory via clandestine circuits, completely bypassing any mechanisms for traçabilité before re-entering international commercial networks. This underscores the urgent need for robust diligence raisonnable minerais RDC across global supply chains to prevent inadvertent complicity in these destructive practices.

The conflict has triggered a catastrophic humanitarian situation, resulting in nearly 10 million forced displacements over the past year alone. In Sud-Kivu, hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals, specifically around 800,000 people in areas like Numbi, Minembwe, Kanyola, Itombwe, and Mwenga, have been living without essential assistance for several months. Humanitarian access remains severely restricted and, in some instances, is reportedly manipulated as a weapon of war, preventing affected populations from receiving much-needed aid.

Ms. Iragi also alerted the Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies RDC to the perilous conditions faced by human rights defenders and journalists in the eastern part of the country. Many activists are subjected to threats, arrests, or abductions for documenting massacres, exposing illegal taxation, or reporting on violations against civilians. Similarly, numerous journalists have been silenced, imprisoned, or disappeared for revealing abuses. Despite the existence of a 2023 Congolese law intended to protect human rights defenders, it is reportedly not being implemented on the ground, highlighting a critical gap in legal protection.

Néné Bintou Iragi's testimony delivered a powerful message to the international community, asserting that "This irresponsible purchase is the fuel that ignites Nord and Sud-Kivu right now. As long as one can kill to control a mine and sell its product internationally without being bothered, the war will never stop." This statement directly implicates global supply chains in perpetuating the conflict.

Companies sourcing minerals from the DRC, or those involved in global mineral supply chains, face significant compliance and reputational risks due to the documented illegal exploitation funding armed conflict and human rights abuses. Legal and compliance officers must ensure robust due diligence and traceability mechanisms are in place to prevent inadvertent complicity in financing armed groups and to comply with international conflict mineral regulations, especially given the reported practice of masking mineral origin. The delegate concluded her address by advocating for enhanced assistance to activists and others engaged in documenting human rights violations in Eastern RDC.

Companies sourcing minerals from the DRC, or involved in global mineral supply chains, face significant compliance and reputational risks due to the documented illegal exploitation funding armed conflict and human rights abuses. Lawyers and compliance officers must ensure robust due diligence and traceability mechanisms are in place to prevent inadvertent complicity in financing armed groups and to comply with international conflict mineral regulations, especially given the reported practice of masking mineral origin.

Source: Original reporting via RFI