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Egmont Institute and GLAC-IOB ��������Ƶ hosted a seminar on the impact of the current insecurity in eastern DRC on mineral supply chains.

Participants:

• Néné Bintu - Présidente de la société civile du Sud Kivu
• Me Patient Bashombe, Coordonnateur de la Plate-forme Dynamique Communautaire pour la cohésion sociale et le Développement (DYCOD-RDC)
• Me Eloi Bundibulya, Comité de crise pour la paix et la sécurité (titre/fonction officielle?)
• Eric Kajemba, Observatoire Gouvernance et Paix (OGP)
• Philippe Ruvunangiza, Directeur, Bureau d'études scientifiques et techniques (BEST)
•  Xavier Macky, Directeur national, Justice Plus
• Freddy Nzonga, Consultant national, projet Madini kwa Amani na Maendeleo, International Alert

Moderated by Prof. Sara Geenen, GLAC-IOB, University of Antwerp.

From 2 to 4 April 2025 the Royal Academy for Oversees Sciences hosted the conference on Strategic Minerals, Mining and Society in the D.R. Congo in Brussels.

Driving Change researchers presented several papers, and I hosted a roundtable discussion on Strategic Minerals in DRC. With panelists Erik Kennes (Egmont Institute), Elisabeth Caesens (Resource Matters), Ithiel Batumike (Université de Mons & Ebuteli) and Guillaume de Brier (IPIS) we discussed about the proposed ‘deal’ between the DRC and the US (strategic minerals for military support), the possibility for the DRC government to strategically position itself vis-à-vis global powers so as to gain more, the vision of the current regime on strategic minerals, national and subnational politics, and ways to deal with negative impacts on the environment and society.

Robert Carrubba is a photographer and filmmaker based in Bukavu, DRC. He visually documented the men, women and children working in the supply chain of gravel, sand, bricks and cement around Bukavu. The text is written by Lilian Nabintu Kabagale, Divin-Luc Bikubanya and Sara Geenen. Financial support was given by VLIR-UOS and by USOS, the University Foundation for Development Cooperation at the University of Antwerp.

There exist a multitude of ethical supply chain initiatives for minerals. Yet small-scale mineral producers are often unaware of their existence, of how they function, or of how they can impact their work and lives. We have worked with a Lubumbashi-based Congolese visual artist, Melissa Jina, to provide short, clear and accessible information to small-scale producers in Congolese mines, in both French and Swahili (you can view these documents above).

Together with Bossissi Nkuba we prepared a video presentation for the Responsible Jewellery Council, 2022.

CEGEMI and photographer Robert Carrubba organised an exhibition called “Creuseurs de rêves”, from 9 April to 7 May 2022 at the Institut Français in Bukavu. At the opening, different CEGEMI studies on the socio-economic life of the miners were presented. At the closing event, the presentations focused on the theme of health and environment in the mines. 

On 17 February I was invited by Al Jazeera English’ The Stream to discuss the  project. Here are some take aways : 1. Working conditions in DRCongo mines remain poor despite years of supply chain regulation, 2. There are no quick fixes to labour exploitation in global supply chains: cheap labour is not just a leak in the water pipe. It is the force that makes the water running through the pipes, 3. There are no quick fixes to labour exploitation in global supply chains: cheap labour is not just a leak in the water pipe. It is the force that makes the water running through the pipes, 4. Stop or reduce the sourcing from DRCongo is not a solution! (as long as miners have no alternative income generation) It kills miners just as much as mining accidents, 5. Not all violence is due to armed group presence & armed groups don’t depend on mining only.  database counts 2347 mines in East. In 847 armed groups interfere. Most = Congolese army. Interference = taxation.

Reuters 2020

on the horrible collapse of a gold mine in Kamituga; I commented on work conditions in these mines. I wanted to stress that , but on the contrary to support it and invest more in protective equipment.

The Conversation 2020

Together with Boris Verbrugge I wrote a.

De Standaard & La Libre Belgique

Together with Kristof Titeca I wrote an opinion article on Milo Rau’s Congo Tribunal in De Standaard () and La Libre Belgique ().

Opinion piece

I was quoted in Emmanuel Freudenthal’s article for IRIN news on . This was following an opinion article on Trump’s decision to repeal Dodd Frank in The Conversation. It can be found 

Conflict minerals open letter

I signed the on the dangerous consequences of the ‘conflict minerals’ narrative and translated the letter  The open letter got coverage in several international media: , , , , , , and others

La Libre Belgique

My research was mentioned in  in the Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique

Mo*Magazine

In 2011 I wrote an article in MO*Magazine  (in Dutch)

Texas in Africa

I wrote an article on the early for the Texas In Africa blog in November 2010

IRIN

I was cited in an IRIN article on ‘Keeping track of mineral resources‘