Amnesty International has accused M23 rebels of serious abuses against miners in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The rights group said the alleged crimes at rebel-controlled mines could amount to war crimes.
M23 controls dozens of artisanal mines across North Kivu and South Kivu. These sites produce minerals used in electronics, including smartphones and other consumer devices.
Amnesty said it interviewed 26 people for a report covering alleged abuses between January 2025 and March 2026. The investigation focused on a coltan mine near Rubaya in North Kivu and a gold mine in Lomera, South Kivu.
Miners Report Alleged Abuse
Sixteen people interviewed by Amnesty said M23 fighters or security guards at the mines had tortured or mistreated them. The group said the witnesses included miners and other civilians.
Amnesty documented several types of alleged abuse. These included summary killings, torture, arbitrary detention, forced labor and pillage.
The report also described the deaths of 18 artisanal miners at the two mining sites. According to witnesses and relatives, 10 miners were beaten to death. Two others were reportedly shot. Six miners who had been abducted were later found dead.
Amnesty said the alleged acts may violate international law. However, the claims have not been independently verified.
Gold Allegedly Smuggled Into Rwanda
The rights group also said it found evidence of gold being moved from M23-controlled areas into neighboring Rwanda through smuggling routes.
M23 and Rwandan authorities had not immediately responded to requests for comment, according to the report.
The United Nations, the US government and Congo’s authorities have previously accused Rwanda of benefiting from Congo’s mineral resources while supporting M23. Rwanda has denied those allegations.
The dispute over minerals has added another layer to the long-running conflict in eastern Congo. The region has faced violence from government forces and numerous armed groups for decades.
Rubaya Mine Has Faced Deadly Disasters
The Rubaya area is one of Congo’s most important coltan-producing regions. It has also suffered several deadly mining disasters.
A mine collapse in March killed at least 200 people, according to the report. Another landslide in January left around 200 people dead.
The Lomera gold mine also suffered a collapse last year. Numerous miners became trapped in the incident.
Congo plays a major role in the global supply of minerals used in modern technology. Amnesty said the country produced more than half of the world’s tantalum last year. Tantalum comes from coltan and is widely used in smartphones and other electronic products.
The Rubaya mine alone accounts for about 15% of global tantalum production, according to Amnesty. The country also exported more than 28 tons of gold during the same period.
