Roadblocks in Masisi and Walikale: Predation on movement in turbulent times

March 8, 2024

While minerals have centered in research on conflict financing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed actors often rely on alternative sources of revenue to finance their struggles. Among these are the operation of roadblocks. In this report, produced together with ASSODIP and the Danish Institute for International Studies, IPIS studies the linkage between roadblocks and the local artisana


Mining and conflict in the eastern DRC: An interactive story map

February 15, 2024

Conflict-financing, armed interference, and sources of insecurity beyond the ‘conflict minerals’ paradigm In this story map, IPIS presents its findings on the linkage between mining and conflict-financing in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Based on a survey conducted between 2021-2023 of 829 active mining sites (representing over 132,320 artisanal miners), IPIS’ research provid


Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (2023 update)

December 22, 2023

Since 2009, IPIS has mapped and collected data at more than 2,800 Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) sites in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In this report, IPIS provides its 2023 update of the state of ASM in the eastern DRC, based on data from over 829 ASM sites in the eastern DRC between 2021-2023. The study analyses linkages between mining, conflict, and insecurity in


M23-IN-GOMA-2012

M23 crisis flares again in North Kivu: context, dynamics and risks 

November 16, 2023

Past October, violence resurged in North Kivu province, as clashes intensified between the Movement of March 23 (M23) and various local militias, as well as the Congolese army (FARDC). An additional 200,000 people have been displaced last month, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation in the province which already counted over 590,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the M23 crisis


Semi-industrial-mining-Mwenga-DRC

Securing insecurity: Semi-industrial gold mining and violence in Mwenga, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

October 5, 2023

Since 2011, gradual introduction of novel mining equipment such as crushing mills has led to the increasing mechanization of artisanal gold mining operations in Mwenga territory (South Kivu), including the arrival of semi-industrial mining companies. This report is part of a USAID-funded project examining the linkage between armed conflict, insecurity and natural resource exploitation in the easte


Armed conflict, insecurity, and mining in eastern DRC: reflections on the nexus between natural resources and armed conflict

December 7, 2022

This report offers a new framework for looking at the eastern Congo conflict, one within which new evolutions of the past twenty years find a place. Indeed, violent conflict in eastern Congo has changed dramatically in all its aspects over the past two decades. Yet too often policymakers and observers appear to assume that we are dealing with a proxy war orchestrated from the DRC’s eastern neighbo


Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – 2022 update

November 29, 2022

In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector plays an important role in the local economy. While large-scale armed conflict over DRC’s mineral wealth has decreased significantly over the past twenty years, armed actors continuously interfere in the mining sector, and conflicts over resources at the local level are still common. Based on new minin


Maps of checkpoints in South Sudan

December 14, 2021

A selection of key maps that accompany the 2021 publication “Checkpoint economy: the political economy of checkpoints in South Sudan, ten years after independence”. Interactive webmap of road-and river checkpoints in South Sudan: A static overview map of all road- and river checkpoints in South Sudan (2020 – 2021 data): A static map with details of all checkpoints, per route (2020 – 2021 data): A


Checkpoint economy: the political economy of checkpoints in South Sudan, ten years after independence

December 10, 2021

Ten years after independence, the world’s youngest country is home to an entrenched political economy of conflict premised on checkpoint taxation. Humanitarian aid is not exempt, reveals a major new mapping report by DIIS and IPIS. When South Sudan became independent ten years ago, oil revenues were supposed to fuel the economy of the world’s newest country. But two years later in 2013, oil prices


IPIS Insights -The artisanal and small scale mining sector in eastern DRC six months after the Covid-19 outbreak

April 19, 2021

In April 2020, when the Coronavirus spread around the world, IPIS started monitoring the impact of the pandemic on the production and trade of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). IPIS published a report in October 2020 that discussed the results of several rounds of consultations with ASM stakeholders at nearly 90 Tin, Tantalum, Tung


IPIS Briefing January 2021 – Armed groups challenging opportunities for responsible gold mining in Beni

February 9, 2021

The IPIS briefing offers a selection of articles, news and updates on natural resources, armed conflict, Business & Human Rights and arms trade.  Every month, an editorial and related publications shed a light on a specific topic in IPIS’ areas of research. In focus: Armed groups challenging opportunities for responsible gold mining in Beni In the news: Dan Gertler échappe aux sanctions améric


L’exploitation minière artisanale à Beni-Mbau

L’exploitation minière artisanale à Beni-Mbau : Etat des lieux et cartographie des sites miniers

October 30, 2020

In the framework of the stabilisation project “Ensemble pour Beni”, IOM, IPIS, ASSODIP and ASADHO carried out a baseline assessment of the artisanal mining sector in the Beni territory. This report provides an overview of the sector and analyses opportunities to promote responsible mineral supply chains.


Impact of Covid-19

The impact of Covid-19 on the artisanal mining sector in eastern DRC

October 14, 2020

As Covid-19 spreads around the world, artisanal mining communities experience once more how much their livelihoods depend on the global economy. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, IPIS has closely monitored its impact on 3T, gold and diamond mining and trade in the DRC.


Maps of DRC

Mapping artisanal mining areas and mineral supply chains in eastern DRC (2019)

April 9, 2019

In a new report and webmap, IPIS presents its updated data on armed conflict and armed interference in eastern DRC’s artisanal mining sector. Building on extensive data, gathered over the last ten years, IPIS assesses the impact of responsible sourcing initiatives in DRC, designed to address armed interference in mineral supply chains. The report illustrates that responsible sourcing efforts have


Interactive map of artisanal mining exploitation in eastern DR Congo – 2018 update

March 19, 2018

Résumé français ci-dessous – French summary below IPIS launched a major update of it’s DRC webmap displaying data on more than 2400 artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC and more than 800 roadblocks. Since December 2016, IPIS teams have visited more than 500 artisanal mines in eastern DRC, gathering data that has been added to IPIS’ interactive webmap. IPIS also integrated other datasets gathered


Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in eastern DR Congo – 2015 update

October 25, 2016

The Belgian research group IPIS has collected data on 2026 artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC over the last couple of years. IPIS observed an armed presence in more than half of the mines. In an interactive map, updated in 2015, IPIS provides information about the on-site presence of armed groups and the Congolese army (FARDC) as well as indicators of the relative importance of the site. It als


Review of the Burundian Artisanal Gold Mining Sector

April 22, 2015

Burundi is located in the centre of Africa’s Great Lakes Region, a region that has seen a gold rush during the last decade, with both artisanal and industrial mining operations expanding substantially in neighbouring Tanzania and the DR Congo (DRC). At the same time, the illegal taxation and trade of artisanal gold in the eastern DRC forms an increasingly important contribution to financing the pr


Supply Chains and Transport Corridors in East Africa

June 1, 2014

Transport infrastructure plays a key role in boosting a country or region’s economic development. IPIS and TransArms have ascertained on several occasions that the underdevelopment or degeneration of transport infrastructure is a problematic issue across a number of African countries and regions. This report analyses the current logistics situation in Eastern Africa, and the logistic challenges fa


De Belgische ontwikkelingssamenwerking en fragiele staten: een kloof tussen beleid en praktijk?

May 8, 2014

Zo goed als de helft van de Belgische middelen voor ontwikkelingshulp gaat naar partnerlanden waar de overheid niet de capaciteit, wil en/of legitimiteit heeft om de publieke zaken efficiënt te beheren, voor veiligheid te zorgen en om de bevolking uit de armoede te halen. Omdat traditionele hulprecepten in deze ‘fragiele staten’ op hun limieten stuiten, is er de laatste decennia een internationaal


Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in Eastern DRC – May 2014 Update

April 30, 2014

In collaboration with the Congolese mining cadastre (CAMI), mining service SAESSCAM and representatives from local civil society organisations, IPIS organised a series of field visits to monitor artisanal mining activities and the involvement of armed groups and criminal networks in mineral exploitation and trade. This resulted in the publication of an interactive web map providing information on