The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) produces roughly 74% of the world’s cobalt and holds massive reserves of copper, coltan, lithium, tin, tungsten, and other critical minerals.

Yet, many mining-affected communities disproportionately shoulder the costs (from pollution and loss of livelihoods to militarization and reprisals) while receiving minimal benefits from the wealth generated by these natural resources. This is why across the country mining-affected communities are demanding safe spaces and opportunities to put forward their demands, shape the projects affecting their territories, and hold companies and financiers accountable.

In 2026, the Community Resource Exchange partnered with five local organizations in the DRC to launch a “community of action”, with the goal of strengthening community-led advocacy, reinforcing protection mechanisms, amplifying grassroots voices, and improving accountability in the extractive sector.

Child miners in Eastern DRC. Credit: Enough Project, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Who 

The community of action includes the following organisations:

• African Resource Watch (AFREWATCH);
• Centre de Défense des Droits de l’Homme et Démocratie (CDHD); 
• Conseil Régional des Organisations Non Gouvernementales de Développement (CRONGD);
• Synergie des Organisations de la Société Civile pour la promotion des Droits Humains et de l’Environnement (SYDHE Asbl);
• Observatoire Africain des Droits de l ́Homme, Environnement et Ressources Naturelles (OADHERN)

What

The groups involved in the community of action are joining forces to:

• Strengthen collective action for advocacy and accountability: convening and exchanges, joint campaigns, participation in advocacy spaces;

• Enhance security and resilience, through holistic protection training and emergency resources to mitigate risks, strengthen resilience, and safeguard advocacy efforts against threats posed by armed groups, security forces and corporate actors.

• Produce documentation and amplify community voices: capacity building for communities on community-led monitoring of human rights and ecological abuses, and on Follow-the-Money research to trace project finance; research on the role of development finance in the critical mineral extraction sector; media engagement; narrative-building.

Protection of defenders

Human rights and environmental defenders in the DRC who are monitoring the mining sector face extreme risks of reprisals, including intimidation, legal harassment, and physical violence, particularly in conflict-affected areas.

To support defenders and communities facing security issues, together with our partners we will be organizing capacity-building on holistic protection. Additionally, our partner AFREWATCH will be providing support to at-risk defenders and communities.

If you are facing specific security risks, please fill out this questionnaire and submit it: protection@afrewatch.org