Central to the escalating war in DRC is the country’s vast mineral wealth – valued at an astonishing $24 trillion. A significant share of Congolese minerals are funnelled into profitable global markets via neighbouring Rwanda, which faces allegations of profiting from illicit mining operations within the Congo.
Although Rwanda possesses a relatively modest mineral portfolio compared with DRC, it reported mining revenues exceeding $1.1 billion in 2023, marking a 43% year-on-year increase. Particularly striking is the data concerning 3T minerals: tin (cassiterite), tungsten (wolframite), and tantalum (coltan). A 2021 report from the US Geological Survey revealed that the United States sourced 36% of its tantalum imports from Rwanda, the highest share among global suppliers, while only 7% came from the DRC.
United Nations reports highlight Rwanda’s role as a vital channel for illicitly and violently obtained Congolese mineral resources, a fact that President Kagame has openly admitted. A December 2024 UN experts’ report noted that after the Kigali-sponsored M23 rebel group seized Rubaya in east DRC, home to the region’s largest coltan mine, it imposed substantial taxes on the extracted minerals and ensured their transfer to Rwanda.
Kagame has candidly stated that Rwanda acts as a transit point for smuggled Congolese minerals. During a ministerial swearing-in ceremony in November 2022, he remarked, “Some people come from Congo, whether they smuggle or go through the right channel, they bring minerals, but most of it goes through here but does not stay here. It goes to Dubai, to Brussels, Tel Aviv…”
To find the root causes of the decades-old war in Congo, follow the money. Rwanda and its international allies are key players in this ongoing conflict, which has already cost millions of lives – with more blood shed every day.
Sources:
https://amsterdamandpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024.04.25-AP-DRC-Blood-Minerals.pdf
https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/rwanda-mining-and-minerals
https://youtu.be/Opf0b_svQl8?t=3444
https://ipisresearch.be/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20021000_networkwars.pdf