M23 rebels tighten grip on Congo’s mineral wealth, says UN report

The M23 rebel group is consolidating its control over mineral-rich territories in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It has been exploiting resources to fund its operations, according to a recent United Nations report. 

The M23 rebels, active in North and South Kivu provinces, have established parallel administrations to exploit resources, including coltan from the Rubaya area. That region is home to one of the world’s largest deposits of the mineral, a critical component in electronics like smartphones. According to the report, the militants collect about $800,000 per month from the coltan trade in the Rubaya area alone. 

The United Nations Security Council’s Group of Experts says that the rebel group taxes mining operations and exports minerals to Rwanda, where they are blended with domestic production. This practice has caused significant contamination of global supply chains with conflict minerals. 

The rebels have also used forced labour and carried out infrastructure projects to improve resource transport, according to the UN.

Expansion

The group has been seizing key towns since April 2024, allegedly with support from Rwanda - a claim Kigali denies. Despite agreed ceasefires and ongoing peace talks, M23’s territorial expansion and resource exploitation suggest long-term ambitions for dominance in the region, the UN researchers say. 

Since the start of the new year, the fighting in eastern Congo has displaced over 100,000 people.

^{A M23 rebel carries equipment in eastern © DRC AFP PHOTO/PHIL MOORE}