Armed Groups and Mineral Extraction in the DRC

Mar 8, 2016 | Washikala Malango
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As armed groups are the main perpetrators of the ongoing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, many actors working in the country have started critically looking into the factors that have contributed to these groups’ ability to continue operating regardless of concerted local, regional, and international efforts to defeat them. A study done with the DRC Entrepreneurship and Development Initiative demonstrated that there is not enough evidence to prove that armed groups operating in the eastern DRC rely solely on illegal exploitation of minerals to carry out their operations. Therefore, more research should be done to assess the factors that have helped these armed groups stay afloat for decades. This would lead to the development of a comprehensive anti-armed groups strategy in the region. This study was conducted in the Kivu provinces between September and December 2015, and data was collected in the territories of Fizi, Mwenga, and Shabunda in South Kivu and Masisi, Lubero, and Beni in North Kivu.