DR CONGO · MINING
Key Facts
- What is happening A local report says a deal lets a miners’ cooperative return to part of Mulondo, where dozens died.
- Why it matters Congo mines about 73% of the world’s cobalt, used in batteries; net imports cover 79% of US use.
- The numbers The provincial interior minister said 32 died on 15 November 2025; the deal reportedly gives miners two squares.
- Who is who Pajeclem runs the industrial quarry; COMIKAN is the miners’ cooperative; Louis Watum Kabamba is Congo’s mines minister.
- What to watch Whether the squares are marked out, security is guaranteed and the 2025 inquiry concludes.
- What it means for you Battery supply chains depend on Congolese cobalt; the US advises Americans to reconsider travel to Congo.
A local news site says artisanal miners may return to part of Mulondo in Congo’s Lualaba province. Dozens died there a year ago, and no official text confirms the deal.
A settlement lets a miners’ cooperative return to part of the Mulondo mine site in Lualaba province, a local news site says. Dozens of artisanal miners, who dig by hand, died there on Saturday 15 November 2025.
Lualaba is the heart of Congo’s copper and cobalt belt, and Congo mined about 73% of the world’s cobalt in 2025. The US Geological Survey says net imports covered 79% of US use, so these mines matter to American batteries.
The deal rests on one outlet’s account, with no published text, signing date or company statement. The facts of the 2025 accident come from officials and agencies named below.
What the Settlement Says
Pajeclem, the company officially operating the quarry, will hand two mining squares to the COMIKAN cooperative, the outlet says. The squares lie inside a marked perimeter, and the company keeps its rights over the rest of the site.
National mines minister Louis Watum Kabamba brought the sides together and oversaw the handover on Monday 2 November, the outlet says. A provincial mines minister and a commission charged with cleaning up the mining sector joined the site inspection.
The outlet says the sides disagreed over access, and miners were kept off the site for over a year. It adds that the cooperative’s director general welcomed the outcome.
What Happened at Mulondo in 2025
Dozens of miners died on 15 November 2025 at Kalando, a hand-dug site inside the Mulondo quarry near Kolwezi, Lualaba’s capital. Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the province’s interior minister, said on Sunday 16 November 2025 that 32 bodies had been recovered.
He said diggers had forced their way in despite an access ban linked to heavy rain and landslide risk. News accounts describe a crowd rushing across an improvised bridge over a flooded trench.
A report by SAEMAPE, a state service for small-scale miners, put the toll at about 40. It reportedly blamed soldiers for the panic, and a Congolese rights group, AFREWATCH, said survivors reported gunfire from soldiers.
Those accounts are unproven allegations, the army’s response has not been found and no official finding has been published. Counts differ by source, from 32 to about 40.
Why Artisanal and Industrial Mining Collide
Artisanal miners dig by hand and sell ore to traders, often on land that companies hold under licence. At Mulondo the dispute involved miners, a cooperative meant to supervise them and the operators.
Related Rio Times reports include Who Runs DR Congo’s Economy and UN Counts 464 Congo Rights Abuses in July. More is on the DR Congo hub and in DR Congo Politics, Who Holds Power in 2026.
What It Means for US Readers
Congo supplied 73% of mined cobalt in 2025, the US Geological Survey says, so mine disruption matters to battery makers. Net imports covered 79% of US cobalt use that year.
The US State Department, Washington’s foreign ministry, tells Americans to reconsider travel to Congo because of crime and civil unrest. It lists four regions as Do Not Travel, and Lualaba is not among them.
What Is Not Known
The settlement text, its signing date and its signatories have not been published, and no statement from Pajeclem has been found. The account of the 3 November deal rests on a single local outlet.
The death toll differs by source, and the cause of the panic is not officially established. No sanctions or findings from the 2025 inquiries have been published.
What Comes Next
Watch for the marking of the two squares, a published agreement and security arrangements for the cooperative’s members. A final report on the 2025 deaths would also show whether sanctions follow.
The deal does not mean the dispute is over, since success depends on respecting the perimeters. A statement from the mines ministry would confirm the terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mulondo mine?
Mulondo is a copper and cobalt quarry, Lualaba province, in south-eastern Congo, near the city of Kolwezi. Dozens of artisanal miners died there on 15 November 2025.
How many people died at Mulondo?
Lualaba’s interior minister said 32 bodies were recovered. A state mining-service report reportedly put the toll at about 40.
What does the new deal change?
One local outlet says the operator Pajeclem will hand two mining squares to the COMIKAN cooperative so artisanal work can resume. The full terms have not been published.
Why does Congo’s cobalt matter to the United States?
Congo mined about 73% of the world’s cobalt in 2025, according to the US Geological Survey. Net imports covered 79% of US cobalt use.
Is it safe for Americans to travel to Lualaba?
The US State Department says to reconsider travel to Congo because of crime and civil unrest. Its Do Not Travel list covers four regions, and Lualaba is not named.
Sources: US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cobalt; US State Department, Democratic Republic of the Congo travel advisory; AFREWATCH, press release 07/2025 on the Mulondo quarry, 15 November 2025 (all accessed 3 November 2026).
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