Lualaba Women’s Organization Demand Environmental Accountability from Mining Companies

A women’s organization in Lualaba, the mining heartland of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has urged the Congolese government to enforce environmental standards and push mining companies to invest in sustainable development projects.

This call to action was announced last week in Kolwezi by the Solidarity of Women on the Congo River (Soffleco).

According to a report from the Congolese National Agency (ACP), Soffleco, which advocates for “climate justice for all through access to land,” has invoked the Constitution to highlight the environmental crimes associated with mining activities in Lualaba province, an industrial hub in the DRC.

“We have observed the rampant and poorly regulated exploitation of our soil and subsoil by mining companies, leading to various forms of pollution that directly harm our local communities,” Soffleco stated.

The organization emphasized that this pollution is particularly detrimental to the rivers and streams, which serve as the primary sources of water for the local population.

In a press release cited by the ACP, the women of Soffleco explained that women in the province bear the brunt of pollution and the lack of fair access to land.

The organization also pointed out that the local population is increasingly unsure of how to use and consume water due to the toxic waste continuously discharged into water sources by mining companies.

The extraction of transition minerals, such as copper and cobalt, has led to severe environmental crimes in the DRC, including the contamination of land, water, and air in Lualaba province.

Faced with the government’s inaction towards mining operators, several organizations are now advocating for climate justice in the region.