Informal Mining and Financing of War in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Beatrice Samson Umubyeyi and Joseph Rudigi Rukema

Published: 2025/09/01

Abstract

Over the past three decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has experienced prolonged violence, resulting in the loss of over 12 million lives and widespread displacement. Numerous studies have highlighted the central role of natural resources in fuelling and prolonging conflict in the region. This paper argues that informal mining is a key mechanism through which armed groups sustain violence in the DRC by generating unregulated income and maintaining control over resource-rich territories. The study further contends that targeted reforms and peace-oriented interventions in the informal mining sector could play a transformative role in promoting stability and sustainable peace. Drawing on secondary qualitative data, including audio recordings, YouTube videos, televised news reports and a wide range of online articles, the research captures the voices of miners, affected communities, government representatives, international organisations, and policy experts. The findings demonstrate how informal mining networks both finance conflict and provide livelihood, thereby presenting a dual challenge and opportunity for peacebuilding in the DRC.

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