Ituri Province Launches Mining Oversight Operation to Restore Order and Traceability
Ituri Government Strengthens Mining Oversight to Combat Rebel Financing and Ensure Compliance
Since Tuesday, September 16, 2025, the Ituri provincial government has launched an operation to monitor and regulate mining sites recently recovered and closed following military operations in Mabanga and surrounding areas.
According to security sources, the initiative aims to restore order and ensure traceability of mining resources, some of which had been used to finance armed groups operating in the region.
Implemented jointly by provincial experts and technical services from the mining sector, the first phase of the operation began at the Jingo site, managed by the Umoja cooperative in the Mambisa sector of Djugu territory.
The inspections then extended to sites 1 and 2 in Saint Raphaël and Ushindi, located along the Ituri River bed.
Inspectors focused on verifying compliance with mining regulations, including the use of heavy machinery and the presence of environmental and social impact studies ensuring benefits for local communities. They also assessed whether duties, taxes, and royalties owed to both the province and the state were properly paid.
“This operation will allow the Congolese state to reorganize mining in Ituri,” said a member of the control commission.
The sites had been recovered by the FARDC last month after long-term exploitation by groups that used mining proceeds to support armed factions, including the militia led by Thomas Lubanga, associated with the AFC-M23 rebel movement.
