DRC Urged to Formalize and Protect Artisanal Mining as Sector Faces Growing Challenges
The management of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) took center stage during the 2025 edition of DRC Mining Week, held from June 11 to 14 at the Karavia Hotel in Lubumbashi.
Key industry stakeholders, including government officials and mining operators, discussed pressing issues facing the ASM sector, which remains a vital source of livelihood for many Congolese citizens.
Jean-Paul Kapongo Kadiobo, Director General of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Assistance and Support Service (SAEMAPE), revealed that his agency had identified at least 1,409 mining cooperatives operating across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He also confirmed the completion of a comprehensive mapping of artisanal mining sites, aimed at streamlining regulation and improving oversight.
“We’ve conducted the census and can now provide reliable statistics. SAEMAPE is working in collaboration with the Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) to facilitate local mineral sales.
For the first time, we are establishing a ‘counter of excellence’ where minerals from artisanal mining will be officially marketed,” Kapongo stated, adding that the initiative is supported by the national geological survey.
Kapongo condemned recent incidents of unrest caused by artisanal miners in Katanga, emphasizing that President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi had instructed the Ministry of Mines to allocate more zones specifically for artisanal activity. The goal is to prevent conflicts and overlapping claims with licensed industrial operations.
“These companies pay substantial royalties and taxes. It’s critical that we create designated zones for artisanal mining and organize cooperatives properly. We are already working on this,” he noted.
The issue was also raised during the Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, June 13, 2025. President Tshisekedi, reflecting on his recent visit to Lualaba Province, expressed concern over the challenges faced by artisanal miners.
Many operate illegally in zones reserved for industrial mining due to the lack of legally designated artisanal mining areas.
The President highlighted the growing tension between artisanal miners and mining companies, noting that this overlap not only leads to conflict but also exposes artisanal miners to exploitation by unscrupulous economic operators.
These actors reportedly use the artisanal mining label as a cover for illegal operations, undermining legal frameworks.
This situation has contributed to worsening poverty and social instability among artisanal miners, leaving them vulnerable to political manipulation and heightening insecurity—factors that can deter investment and derail national development efforts.
The President reiterated the exclusive role of EGC in marketing strategic minerals produced through artisanal means and emphasized the regulatory authority of the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Markets for Strategic Mineral Substances (ARECOMS).
These institutions are essential in ensuring that cobalt and other critical minerals like coltan are mined and marketed legally and transparently.
Despite a landmark decision by ARECOMS in February 2025 to tighten oversight of cobalt exports, the government acknowledged that both EGC and ARECOMS require significant capacity building.
Without the proper financial and technical resources, these agencies cannot effectively implement reforms or curb abuses in the sector—particularly in cobalt-rich provinces like Lualaba.
Officials at DRC Mining Week and within the national government stressed the urgent need to formalize and support artisanal mining.
This includes establishing legal mining zones, strengthening cooperatives, enforcing mining laws, and equipping regulatory bodies with the tools they need to oversee this critical but often chaotic sector.
With proper management, the artisanal mining sector could transition from a source of instability to a pillar of inclusive economic development in the DRC.
