The Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed a sweeping three-month suspension of mining activities in parts of South Kivu province, targeting operations in two key territories as authorities move to tighten control over the country’s strategic mineral supply chain.
The directive, issued on 22 May 2026 by the Ministry of Mines and signed by Minister Louis Kabamba Watum, applies to industrial, semi-industrial and artisanal mining sites operating across gold and coltan-rich corridors in the eastern region.
The suspension applies specifically to Mwenga and Shabunda territories in South Kivu province, two of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s most important artisanal and semi-industrial mining zones.
Both areas sit within the country’s broader gold and coltan belt and are known for dense networks of industrial operators, cooperatives and informal miners feeding into regional mineral trading chains.
The government also pointed to security risks linked to uncontrolled mineral flows, warning that illicit revenues may be fuelling instability in eastern Congo.
