Congolese coal mine collapse kills at least 200, officials say rebels toll

GOMA, Congo — A mine collapse on Tuesday killed at least 200 people at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo, disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine, according to Congolese officials.

The collapse occurred on Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by M23 rebels, the mines ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

Fanny Kaz, a senior official in the M23 rebel group that controls the mines, disputed the figure and said the collapse was caused by “bombs” and that only five people had died.

“I can confirm that what people are publishing is not true. There was no landslide; there were bomb blasts and people are not telling the death toll. It is only about five people who died,” Kaz said.

Ibrahim Taluseke, a miner at the site, said he helped retrieve more than 200 bodies from the area.

“We are scared, but these are lives at stake,” Taluseke said. “The owner of the pits will not admit that the exact number of deaths will not be disclosed.”

Rubaya lies in the heart of eastern Congo, a mineral-rich part of the central African nation that has been torn by decades of violence by government forces and various armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23, whose recent resurgence has escalated the conflict, exacerbating an already acute humanitarian crisis.

Congo is a major supplier of coltan, a black metal ore that contains the rare metal tantalum, a key ingredient in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines.

The country will produce about 40% of the world’s coltan in 2023, according to the US Geological Survey, with Australia, Canada and Brazil other big suppliers. More than 15% of the world’s tantalum supply comes from the Rubaya mines.

In May 2024, M23 captured the town and took control of its mines. According to a UN report, since the capture of Rubaya, the rebels have levied taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, earning at least $800,000 a month.

Eastern Congo has been in and out of crisis for decades. The various conflicts have created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, including more than 300,000 who have fled their homes since December.

Regardless

In June, the Congolese and Rwandan governments signed a US-brokered peace deal, and talks between the rebels and Congo continue. However, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, continuing to claim numerous civilian and military casualties.

An agreement between Congo and Rwanda opens up access to critical minerals for the US government and American companies.

A similar collapse last month killed more than 200 people.