The Rubaya mine is located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Furthermore, it has become an essential driver of the global mobile phone sector. M23 rebels surround the mine, estimated to hold 15% of the world’s coltan supply. This is the mineral crucial for manufacturing mobile devices. This exceptional strategic asset contains half of the DRC coltan deposits in total. Consequently, it is an important cornerstone to the international mineral trade.
Ever since M23 took over the Rubaya mine in April of last year, they’ve been collecting millions in revenue. They do this simply by taxing coltan extraction businesses. News reports suggest that the collective rakes in hundreds of thousands of dollars per month from such releases. Coltan extracted in Rubaya is directly shipped to Rwanda. In addition to inflaming regional tensions, the measure threatens to upend international supply chains.
The M23 rebellion website states that their armed struggle “defend[s] the rights of the minority Tutsi population” in the DRC. As a part of their corporate PR campaign, they have provided media with limited access to the mine. Recently, the BBC visited Rubaya under M23 supervision, shedding light on the operations taking place within this crucial mining site. According to Patrice Musafiri, the mine’s supervisor, investment aimed at developing the local economy would be much more welcome.
The long-running conflict over use of the Rubaya mine and its precious resources has been international newsworthy. In a recent ceasefire deal signed in Washington, both the DRC and Rwanda committed to a peace process aimed at resolving three decades of instability in the region. Concurrently, a mediation effort led by Qatar seeks to facilitate direct talks between armed groups like M23 and the Congolese government.
Even though Rwanda has denied any military or financial assistance to the M23 rebels, denying the allegations, tensions are still high. Even the presence of American institutional investors is still viewed largely as a stabilizing force. Observers say their presence would help stop additional violence or the formation of other militias in the region.
The local workforce at Rubaya includes more than 10,000 laborers who go to work daily removing coltan ore from its soil. Conditions on-site can be perilous. Workers like Peter Osiasi describe the harsh realities of mining, stating, “When we are deep in the mines, temperatures are very high – digging the mineral is hard… plus there can be other harmful gases.” Despite these challenges, Osiasi expresses gratitude for the opportunities mining has provided him, saying, “My life has really changed. Mining has really helped me.”
Musafiri says more work is needed to keep miners safe and settle conflicts in the mines. To do this, he recounts how they’ve created an office of mining. This new department would be responsible for setting safety standards and lead efforts to ensure safe workplaces. “If a tunnel becomes dangerous, people are told to leave to avoid accidents,” he adds.
Just a few kilometers away in Goma, a thriving market welcomes miners robby to peddle their minerals. Musafiri notes that various groups converge on the mine for work and trade, stating, “People from different groups come here to mine daily and others to buy the minerals.” He thinks this is a good way to welcome foreign investment. He argues that any efforts should focus on rebuilding local communities and raising pay for displaced miners.
Any foreign investor can come here, Musafiri states, so long as they’re accompanied by true economic development for our community and raise wages for our miners to a living wage.