From February 2 to 6, 2026, the Kufatilia Network in Ituri organized in Bunia a series of three workshops focused on capacity enhancement, stakeholder coordination, and improving incident management mechanisms in the artisanal mining sector. These activities were carried out with technical support from IPIS and financial support from the Madini Kwa Amani na Maendeleo project.
These workshops are a continuation of the work to document, monitor, and analyze incidents related to the mining sector in Ituri. Data collected in recent years via Kufatilia has highlighted the need to strengthen local mechanisms for coordination, documentation, and response to incidents affecting communities living near mining sites.
The first workshop brought together civil society organizations and community structures active in the management of cases of gender-based violence (GBV). The discussions provided an opportunity to analyze existing practices for receiving alerts, documenting, referencing, and supporting those affected. The discussions also highlighted several operational challenges, including insecurity in certain areas, logistical constraints, and the limitations of current support mechanisms. The second day was devoted to mapping the actors involved in different health zones in the province. This exercise allowed to identify the services available, clarify the roles of each organization, and strengthen the complementarity of interventions in order to improve the effectiveness of local response mechanisms.
A specific capacity-enhancement workshop for members of the Kufatilia Network in Ituri then helped to consolidate skills in data analysis and evidence-based advocacy. Participants worked on structuring strategic messages for provincial authorities with a view to improving the governance of multi-stakeholder mechanisms in the mining sector such as the local and provincial monitoring committees.
The series of activities concluded with a discussion session with provincial authorities, focusing on the effective operationalization of mining activity monitoring structures, including the Comité Provincial de Suivi (CPS). The message consolidated by the participants was transmitted to the Military Governor of the province via his office, with acknowledgment of receipt from the Governorate secretariat.
At the end of these workshops, participants reaffirmed their commitment to continue strengthening inter-institutional coordination and to support more effective local mechanisms for the prevention and management of incidents in the mining sector in Ituri.
The Madini Kwa Amani na Maendeleo project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position of the Netherlands.
