About the Project
Since 2018, private Chinese-funded cooperations (including ORC, Full Trag and Yellow Water Resources) have been responsible for severe human rights violations as a result of gold mining operations across Mitobo I, Mitobo II, Kaboge, surrounding areas of Wamazimu Chiefdom in the Mwenga Territory, South Kivu. ORC has also collaborated with Kamitgua Mining Company, a subsidiary of the Canadian Banro Corporation.
The affected communities have not received adequate information from any of these companies regarding their operations, responsibilities, ownership arrangements, or licences to operate in their territory. They were not involved in the decision-making processes surrounding the operations, nor were they informed of which company representative they could liaise with. Additionally, the companies have been operating without any social or environmental studies, and subjected their employees to dangerous and unethical working conditions.
The local Banampute community, a clan of the Lega Tribe, has been severely affected by mining operations in their territory. In particular, they have been raising concerns about dispossession of fields and cultivable lands, destruction of the surrounding ecosystem, and loss of livelihoods.
To extract gold particles through surface and alluvional mining, the companies have been using harmful mining techniques, including using mercury and cyanide to fill mining pits. As a result, they contaminated critical waterways including the Elila and Zalya rivers. Further environmental degradation includes mass deforestation without any reforestation initiatives, the destruction of medicinal plants, graves, sacred and cultural initiation sites. The Kamwanga waterfall tourist site has also been affected.
Beyond adverse environmental effects ,the companies have failed to compensate land losses for settlements in Nyamibungu/Ntunga, Lwalanga, Barque, Basimbi, Matebo, Kitumba, Kamwanga, Kiziba, Bakongo, Ngoy, Njolinjoli, Mbelekelo and Bwalala. In addition, the mining companies have failed to deliver equal beneficiation to affected communities and to pay mining royalties. They also prioritized the employment of Chinese workers at the expense of Congolese workers.
Local community members, artisanal miners, CSO actors and human rights defenders resisting mining operations have faced threats, arrests, physical attacks, shootings, and some have even been killed. Reprisal risks are exacerbated by the high militarization of the area and the presence of numerous armed groups, including Congolese police, intelligence agents, the military, and rebel groups Wazalendo and M23. To protect the mining sites, the companies seek protection from political, military, customary and security authorities, but the soldiers assigned to guard the sites have reportedly violently targeted community members.
About the Community-led Struggle
Despite the strong efforts of companies and Congolese officials to deter resistance, communities are strongly opposing mining operations in response to the serious human rights violations they are facing. They have engaged in peaceful protests (such as the one that took place in Mwenga in 2018), advocacy building initiatives, judicial mechanisms as well as media awareness campaigns. Their demands include compensation for loss and damages caused by mining operations, environmental restoration, access to justice, payment of mining royalties, signature of a community-development agreement, implementation of the required 0.3% contribution to community development, local employment, and direct dialogue with the company.
Our CRE partner OADHERN-RDC has been working with the affected communities since 2018, documenting violations, supporting advocacy initiatives, providing training and community mobilization, and assisting in engagement with authorities. In May 2026, OADHERN conducted a series of community meetings, consultations and dialogues to identify demands and assess ORC’s compliance with mining regulations. It also contacted ORC, to start developing a plan for bilateral engagement.
As a result of these efforts, in August 2021 the provincial government of South Kivu imposed a brief suspension for six Chinese companies operating in Mwenga and Shabunda, for non-compliance with mining standards and community demands before resuming. Another three month suspension was imposed in May 2026 in the Mwenga and Shabunda territories, to allow the General Inspectorate of Mines to carry out an inspection and ensure the legality of operations.
Additional Resources
- Environmental Accountability of Extractive Industries and Community Resistance in the Wamuzimu Chieftaincy in Eastern Congo (The Journal of Social Encounters)
- The Curse of Gold (Human Rights Watch)
- Weak governance of gold mining still drives conflict in Central Africa (Institute for Security Studies)