Mining Traders Protest Suspension of Artisanal Copper and Cobalt Mining in Lualaba

Kolwezi, December 13, 2025 - Mining traders in Lualaba are protesting the suspension of artisanal copper and cobalt mining. The national Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, issued a decree on December 19 suspending mining activities and the marketing of mineral substances from artisanal mining throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The decision has sparked serious concerns among stakeholders in the artisanal mining sector, particularly in Kolwezi. Mutra Mutunda, provincial president of the Network of Mining Traders of Congo (RENEMICO), is advocating for the lifting of the suspension, warning that the abrupt halt affects thousands of families and could lead to social unrest.

“If the artisanal miners stop working, there will be social unrest. We are facing a complicated situation; we don't know what to do,” Mutunda said. On the day the ministerial decree was published, operations at the quarries ceased, all services stopped functioning, and even the traders halted activities.

To ease the situation, the Minister of Mines promised the creation of 64 Artisanal Mining Zones (AZEs) in Lualaba province, with the allocation process already underway. The suspension aims to end illegal transactions and prevent clandestine miners from encroaching on authorized mining areas.