DRC Commits to Reducing Child Labor in Artisanal Mines
DRC Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing child labor in artisanal mines. Speaking during a press conference in Kinshasa, he highlighted collaborative efforts with international organizations and ministries such as the Interior and Defense to rescue children from dangerous mining environments and reintegrate them into age-appropriate activities.
“The locations where these children work are well identified. We are working with ministerial commissions and international organizations to relocate them and remove them from the mines,” the minister stated.
Pakabomba also addressed recent reports by UNICEF during DRC Mining Week, which cited over 300,000 children working in the Katanga region’s mines.
He clarified that UNICEF’s figures were misinterpreted, explaining that the data referred to children working in hazardous conditions across Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, not exclusively in artisanal mines.
According to the minister, child labor in the country’s mines has decreased, especially as 95% of cobalt production is now industrialized.
He acknowledged, however, that child labor persists in specific areas, often controlled by armed groups exploiting vulnerable populations, including women and children.
In 2022, child labor in Congolese mines was condemned before the U.S. Congress, with Congolese lawyer Hervé Diakesa among the whistleblowers accusing local and foreign companies of exploiting children to extract cobalt used in electronic devices and electric vehicles.
