A major mining company has accused the M23 rebel group of looting over 500 kilograms of gold from a concession in the conflict-ridden South Kivu province, an allegation the group has firmly denied while simultaneously accusing government forces of ceasefire violations.
The accusations were leveled by Trangiza, a mining company operating in the area. In a statement this week, the company alleged that M23 fighters stole the massive shipment of gold from its concession. Trangiza further claimed the rebel group employed Rwandan geologists to help locate the mineral. The company estimated the value of the stolen gold to be in excess of $70 million.
The M23 group, which controls territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), swiftly rejected the claims. The rebellion’s coordinator, Conell Nanga, denied his forces were involved in any heist.
Nanga contested the very nature of the mining operation, stating the site in question was not run by an industrial operator like Trangiza, but was instead worked by artisanal miners. He turned the accusations back on the DRC government, alleging that it was Congolese army forces who struck the mine.
This latest incident underscores the deep tensions and ongoing violence in the region, despite efforts to maintain a ceasefire. Nanga’s statement explicitly blamed Kinshasa for these alleged violations.
The accusations against M23 are not isolated. For years, reports from the United Nations and various human rights groups have consistently accused the rebel faction of systematically plundering Congo’s vast mineral wealth, including gold, and using the revenues to fund its prolonged rebellion against the DRC government.
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