• DR Congo's Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba signed an order on November 3, 2025, extending for six months the "red status" on 38 mining sites in North and South Kivu to limit revenue for the M23 rebel group.

• The extension aims to reduce the financial resources of the rebels, as illegal mining activities are considered their primary source of funding, estimated at $300,000 to $800,000 per month.

• The "red status" prohibits extraction and legal trade of minerals from these sites, although UN experts report systematic smuggling and mixing with Rwandan production.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Mines, Minister Louis Watum Kabamba signed an order on November 3, 2025, extending for six months the "red status" applied to 38 mining sites in North Kivu and South Kivu. This decision prolongs an initial measure taken in February 2025 by his predecessor, originally valid for six months, targeting concessions in Masisi and Kalehe territories, which have fallen under M23 influence since 2024.

This extension aligns with the Congolese government's strategy to reduce rebel financial resources. Kinshasa considers illegal mining activities the movement's primary source of financing. In October 2024, Bintou Keita, head of MONUSCO, estimated that taxes imposed by rebels in mining areas under their control generated approximately $300,000 per month. A report published in December of the same year valued these monthly revenues at $800,000.

These revenues would supplement those derived from the Twangiza gold mine in South Kivu, where the operating company claims illicit sales by rebels reached $70 million since May 2025. These estimates illustrate the mining sector's importance in financing the rebellion.

According to the order signed on November 3, the new six-month period commences on August 12, 2025, the expiration date of the previous regulatory act. The "red status" classification prohibits all extraction activities and renders illegal the commercialization of coltan, cassiterite, and other minerals originating from these sites, thus limiting their access to formal channels.

To circumvent these restrictions, smuggling networks rely on already documented money laundering mechanisms. The United Nations Group of Experts report published in July 2025 indicates that 3T minerals—tin (cassiterite), tungsten (wolframite), and tantalum (coltan)—originating from M23-controlled areas are systematically mixed with Rwandan production before export. Experts report approximately 686 tons of minerals clandestinely exited the region since January 2025.

These elements reinforce the Congolese government's position, which views the mining sector as an essential lever to dry up rebel financing.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum