DR Congo rebel group M23 seizes mining town crucial for supply of smartphone minerals

Most of the country’s mineral resources are concentrated in the east where insecurity has worsened since the M23 made a major comeback in March 2022.

Rubaya holds rich deposits of tantalum, extracted from coltan, which is a critical energy transition mineral used in the manufacture of smartphones, laptops and game consoles.

The group has twice taken control of Rubaya previously for a few days.

The Congolese government, UN officials and Western powers have accused Rwanda of providing support for M23, something it has repeatedly denied.

Youth leader Clovis Mafare said Rubaya was encircled by the rebels.

“There is a large displacement of the population because the clashes are intense,” he said, adding that the town’s mining quarries were not occupied.

Rubaya was previously under the control of pro-government militia group the Wazalendo.

The United Nations said in December 2023 that Wazalendo armed groups controlled sites within main exploitation perimeters compromising the tin, tantalum and tungsten supply chains.

Conflicts have also arisen over the illicit trade in tin and gold mined in DR Congo which is then smuggled out through Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

The country’s government is pushing Apple for more information about its supply chain over concerns it may be tainted with conflict minerals. Apple said it had not found any smelters or refiners in its remit that financed or benefited armed groups in DR Congo or an adjoining country.