Congo continues to prohibit the sale of minerals from areas in the east affected by conflict

The DRC has banned the sale of minerals from dozens of artisanal mining sites in the war-torn regions of North and South Kivu for six months, according to the ministry of mines.

The extension increases the pressure on global supply chains for tin, tantalum, and tungsten—essential components for the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries—to comply with regulations.

The mines minister, Louis Watum Kabamba, signed an order on November 3 stating that the restriction, which was first implemented in February, is being maintained because to indications that illicit mine supplies are funding armed factions in the east.

The ministry announced the ban on social media on Sunday, affecting 38 locations in Masisi, North Kivu, and Kalehe, South Kivu, that produce coltan, cassiterite, and wolframite—ingredients for tin, tantalum, and tungsten.

supported by Rwanda Significant area in the mineral-rich eastern Congo has been taken by M23 rebels and other armed organizations.

This year, an M23 offensive has resulted in hundreds of thousands of displaced people and thousands of deaths.

According to U.N. experts and rights groups, the abundance of minerals has long been perceived as contributing to conflict in the east, with fighters utilizing gold, cassiterite, and coltan sites to finance their activities.

According to a December 2024 U.N. assessment, money obtained from illegally mined minerals was being used to finance military activities, maintain a war economy, and prolong hostilities.

According to the mines ministry order, the affected mining sites may be subject to independent audits by the ministry or international organizations like the OECD and the United Nations, and sourcing and exporting from them is prohibited.

In 2024, Congo opened new corporate subsidiaries and filed criminal cases against Apple (AAPL.O) in France and Belgium, claiming that despite Apple’s declarations under U.S. law, supply lines contained minerals stolen from war areas.

Apple said it had instructed suppliers to cease buying minerals from Rwanda and the Congo, refuting the accusations.

Claims against Apple, Google (GOOGL.O), Tesla, Dell (DI.UL), and Microsoft (MSFT.O) over their alleged reliance on cobalt mined in abusive conditions in Congo have also been heard by U.S. courts, but those lawsuits were dismissed.