Conflict Minerals Campaign is a Quaker Recognised Body of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), with the aim of ensuring that minerals from DRC that we benefit from in the UK should also benefit the people of the DRC. CMC works through education, organising meetings bringing different groups together in DRC, and campaigning.
In June 2023 CMC were awarded a grant from The Edith M Ellis 1985 Charitable Trust to assist in their work in DRC. They visited mining areas to observe and to interview people involved in or affected by mining. A three-day meeting to place to consider in depth the issues affecting the community in the mining areas and local groups were set up to continue the work and keep CMC informed.
Visits to Mining Areas
Over the course of four weeks in November 2023. Joel Amani and his assistant Blaise Fanu and another assistant visited different villages, and the mining sites of KADUMWA, LUKUNGURI, CHIJABU, BUGUMYA, LULIMBOHWE located in the LUCIGA grouping. Joel is a human rights lawyer based in Bukavu, South Kivu, who has been an active member of Conflict Minerals Campaign since its inception in 2020, when he visited mining sites to produce reports for CMC on the conditions there. Blaise lives in Luhwindja, and Joel knows him as he studied in Bukavu, and found that he has good contacts in Luhwindja. They travelled by car and motor bike, and stayed overnight in a guest house in Luhwindja. They met a representative of the King of Luhwindja, various groups of local people, artisanal miners, representatives from mine owners from Twangiza company and civil society organisations. They were welcomed everywhere, and people were very interested in the work of CMC, particularly as they have an ongoing relationship, while other NGOs come once and then disappear.
Three-Day Meeting
The three-day meeting was held in Les Paysans hotel in Luhwindja in the Mwenga territory in South Kivu, from December 27-30, 2023, led by Joel Amani, assisted by Blaise Fanu. The activity had the advantage of bringing together 45 people representing all the stakeholders in the mining sector in Luhwindja: Artisanal mining operators, residents of Luhwindja, civil society (village councils), extractive company (Twangiza Mining) and members of the Chiefdom.
In summary, they carried out visits to sites bringing together the population of Luhwindja around the question: What is needed for the Congolese population to benefit from its mining resources? They also proceeded to raise awareness of the revised Congolese mining code and to take a careful look at artisanal mining. The participants visited a mining site during the 3-day meeting.
Findings
They learned that the Mining Code is not well known. It is important that people are aware of it, as it lays down the societal responsibilities of mining companies, including their duties towards the local population. It is not respected by the companies. It is estimated that only 20% of mining sites respect the mining code. Local people can benefit from mining if they are offered employment and training by the companies, or if their own low-tech “artisanal” mining is allowed alongside the mining by international companies. It was found that there was no collaboration between Twangiza Mining company and the Members of the Community. The area entrusted to Twangiza Mining covers almost the entire area of the Chiefdom of Luhwindja, (so all of Luhwindha has been granted to them), and there is no Artisanal Exploitation Zone (ZEA) in Luwindja yet the Luwindjian community lived from artisanal mining as its main income-generating activity. The Community Relations Department of Banro/Twanziga is still in the power of expatriates and does not collaborate with community members, the company does not engage local people in positions of responsibility, extractive companies pollute the environment, (soil polluted, health problems) and relocation and resettlement have not been in accordance with standards required by the Mining Code (the population were not satisfied with the place they were given to re-locate, no compensation, poor quality houses unsuited to cold climate).
The occupation of the Mbwega quarry by Twangiza Mining in 2025 was not seen favourably by the local population, who consider it illegal. They now need lawyers to defend their rights.
There is a shortage of geologists. There are Congolese geologists available, but they are not employed. The revised mining code and mining regulations have not been respected by the
State or by the industrial operator. For example, artisanal miners are not given cards to allow them to operate. There is a disagreement between the BANRO Company and the population of
Luwindja because, before this company began to operate in Luwhindja, local people could work as artisanal miners and the money circulated for the development of other activities: agriculture, fishing and livestock.
The poverty of the population results from the fact that the gold exploited by the company causes youth unemployment because the companies bring expatriates to work instead of hiring the natives. (In the past, the youth could have worked in artisanal mining.) There are no roads to facilitate agricultural services, so it is difficult to trade in agricultural products.
It was agreed that there is a need to organize once a semester a meeting with focal points, focusing on capacity building on issues related to national, regional and international mining regulations.
Setting up Local Groups
Five local groups were set up in MULENGA, LULIMBIHWE, KADUMWA, LUKUNGURI & CINJIRA and a representative was appointed in Luwindja who will share information relevant to our Campaign with CMC. The purchase of the phone immediately facilitated communication and alerts or notifications in case of incidents in the mining areas of MULENGA, LULIMBIHWE, KADUMWA, LUKUNGURI & CINJIRA. Up-to-date information comes to CMC, which is a real success for our Campaign. For example, the people in Lukunguri called Joel
two weeks ago and said that there are children in the mining sites. They asked if he could use Human Rights law to protect the workers, as many miners do not have protective clothing.
How the work pays off after the initial grant-funded work is completed
Joel reports: “The work carried out in Luhwindja by CMC gave us a lot of legitimacy on all points, we were invited to share our work experience, visits, meetings etc. in large forums at the provincial and national level.” Joel is very grateful that CMC makes him better understand the many challenges in the Congolese mining sector not only in the provinces but also in the DRC in general.
Since CMC started their activities, Joel has been invited to local and national meetings to discuss the governance and management of the Congolese mining sector. A Swiss NGO, DCAF, invited Joel to speak in Kinshasa and funded his travel etc. He talked about private security in the mining sector, which needs better regulation.
Joel talks over the phone with the local CMC groups about once a week. They are urging him to have a regular radio session to talk about conflict minerals and CMC.
The visits and meetings enabled Joel to build new and strengthen existing relationships with groups and organisations in Luhwindja. The 3-day meeting enabled the different groups in Luhwindja to meet and discuss with each other.
Much of the 3-day workshop focused on mining law, which is key to the rights of local people, but is little known, and not often observed by mining companies.
