DRC Mines Minister Concludes Eastern Tour with Focus on Reforming Artisanal Mining in Maniema
DRC Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba Pushes Mining Sector Reforms During Strategic Visit to Maniema Province
After visits to the provinces of Ituri and Bas-Uélé, the Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Louis Watum Kabamba, concluded his tour of eastern DRC with a strategic stop in Maniema Province on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
The visit forms part of a broader government initiative aimed at transforming the mining sector into a more structured, transparent, and development-oriented pillar of the national economy.
During his mission, the minister held extensive consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including provincial authorities, artisanal mining cooperatives, representatives of the Chamber of Mines, civil society actors, and local mining operators.
The discussions focused on assessing sectoral challenges and identifying priority reforms to strengthen governance and improve community benefits.
Maniema remains one of the DRC’s most resource-rich provinces, with significant deposits of gold, cassiterite, coltan, and diamonds.
The province alone accounts for an estimated 40% of the country’s artisanal gold production, underscoring its strategic importance to the national mining industry.
However, despite its mineral wealth, stakeholders highlighted several persistent challenges, including weak regulation of artisanal mining activities, limited mineral traceability, and insufficient socio-economic benefits for local communities living in mining zones.
In response, Minister Kabamba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing these concerns, aligning reforms with the national vision of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, under the coordination of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka. He emphasized that concrete measures will be implemented to improve governance, transparency, and value retention within the sector.
As part of his field mission, the minister also visited key institutional and industrial sites in Maniema, including the Provincial Division of Mines and Geology.
He further inspected several mineral processing facilities such as CJX Minerals, Umoja Wetu, and Sogecom, which specialize in cassiterite processing, as well as the local branch of DRC Gold Trading SA.
The tour is part of a wider national assessment and reform agenda aimed at strengthening oversight of artisanal mining, accelerating the recovery and restructuring of the Kilo-Moto Mining Company, improving revenue distribution to local communities, ensuring compliance with mining regulations, and promoting environmentally sustainable mining practices.
Minister Louis Watum Kabamba returned to Kinshasa on the afternoon of April 23, 2026, following a technical stopover in Kananga, marking the conclusion of his eastern field mission.
