A local advocacy group in Maniema, a province in eastern DR Congo, says 15 people died on mining sites there in under a month. The group, AGIREC (Agir pour la reconstruction de notre espace et la convivialité), also reports 2 people seriously injured between 8 October and 3 November 2026.
AGIREC set out its figures in a note dated Tuesday 10 November 2026 to the province’s Minister of Mines and Industry. It asks the province to inspect risk zones and suspend work at dangerous sites.
Key Facts
- Who AGIREC, a Maniema advocacy group, counts 15 deaths and 2 serious injuries. These are its own figures.
- When The deaths fall between 8 October and 3 November 2026.
- Where Five territories (local districts) are named; Kailo and Pangi are among the hardest hit.
- Why SAEMAPE, the state agency overseeing small-scale mining, has too few agents on site, AGIREC says.
- As of Thursday 12 November 2026, 03:00 GMT
What the Group Reports
AGIREC says 15 people were killed and 2 seriously injured on mining sites in Maniema between 8 October and 3 November 2026. No authority has confirmed these figures to us.
Several incidents were collapses in mine galleries, the tunnels dug by hand, and in workings, the areas where diggers extract ore. Others were accidents in the Ulindi river during extraction work.
AGIREC also lists one alleged murder on 3 November at the Kaungu site in Punia territory. It is not clear whether that case is counted among the 15.
Where and How
The group names five territories, which are local administrative districts: Kailo, Pangi, Kabambare, Punia and Kasongo. Kailo and Pangi are among the hardest hit.
Artisanal miners are people who dig by hand or with simple tools. The accidents AGIREC describes happened in galleries and in the Ulindi river.
Why Oversight Is the Issue
AGIREC blames too few agents of SAEMAPE on the sites. SAEMAPE is the state service that assists and supervises artisanal and small-scale mining.
The group also cites a lack of technical assistance and weak coordination between the services that manage the sector. It asks the provincial government, the mines ministry and other services for inspections of risk zones and suspension of work at dangerous sites.
AGIREC also wants care for the injured and support for victims’ families. We have seen no official response and no government figures.
The group raised the same concern earlier this year, after a pit collapse on Saturday 25 April 2026 at the Mususa Sud site in Kailo territory killed artisanal diggers. Its coordinator, Samuel Ramazani, blamed the absence of effective SAEMAPE monitoring in the field.
He said the problem was made worse by the prolonged non-payment of SAEMAPE agents. That pit was an artisanal cassiterite pit, which yields tin ore.
What It Means for You
The sources do not say who buys the ore from these sites, so we cannot say whether any of it reaches US buyers. The people most affected are the diggers and their families.
Background is in our reports on a deal that would reopen a deadly mine site and on who runs DR Congo’s economy. More coverage is on our DR Congo page.
What Is Not Known
No authority has confirmed the 15 deaths to us, and we do not have the names, ages or exact dates for each incident. We also do not know whether the alleged murder is counted or whether the province has replied.
The owners and legal status of the sites are also unknown. A reply from the province, or a round of inspections, would show how far the figures hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is AGIREC?
AGIREC is a local non-governmental group in Maniema province, eastern DR Congo. Its full name is Agir pour la reconstruction de notre espace et la convivialité.
How many people died in Maniema mines?
AGIREC says 15 people were killed and 2 seriously injured between 8 October and 3 November 2026. The figures are the group’s own and no authority has confirmed them to us.
What is SAEMAPE?
SAEMAPE is the state service that assists and supervises artisanal and small-scale mining. AGIREC says it has too few agents on the sites.
Sources: AGIREC (Agir pour la reconstruction de notre espace et la convivialité), advocacy note to the provincial Minister of Mines and Industry, 10 November 2026 (as reported; note not seen by us); AGIREC coordinator Samuel Ramazani, statement on the Mususa Sud collapse, April 2026.
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