DRC Leads Regional Push Against Mineral Smuggling at CIRGL Ministers’ Meeting in Lusaka
The Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, His Excellency Mr. Kizito Pakabomba, participated in an extraordinary meeting of Mines Ministers from member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), held in Lusaka, Zambia.
This high-level gathering followed two major technical meetings previously held in Nairobi, Kenya: the 26th session of the ICGLR Audit Committee and the 30th session of the Regional Committee of the Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources (RINR).
Central to the discussions was the DRC’s formal denunciation of the ongoing smuggling of Congolese minerals into Rwanda—a practice Kinshasa considers unacceptable.
The issue was officially brought before the ICGLR Executive Secretariat, supported by documented evidence.
The DRC’s sustained diplomatic and technical efforts yielded a key outcome: participants agreed to establish a joint investigative commission tasked with uncovering the scope of these illicit activities and recommending concrete actions to halt them.
Minister Kizito Pakabomba described the decision as “an important step toward economic justice and the protection of the DRC’s mineral sovereignty.” He further urged member states to enhance cooperation in implementing the regional mineral traceability mechanism.
