ASM Incident Tracker
April 5, 2019Welcome to Kufatilia, the ASM Incident Tracker developed by IPIS in collaboration with the Expertise Centre on Mining Governance (CEGEMI) based in Bukavu, and powered by Ulula. The ASM Incident Tracker is a tool for Congolese civil society organisations to report and monitor incidents in Eastern DRC in a transparent, independent and participatory way. The reported incidents, in line
Mapping artisanal small-scale mining in eastern DRC
March 3, 2019News Story Map of ASM Sites in the DRC October 6, 2020 Explore IPIS’ eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) webmap with a guided narrative. In its new story map, IPIS presents data gathered on eastern DRC’s artisanal mining sector and Training and workshop on mapping artisanal mining in Eastern DRCFebruary 9, 2018(French version below) 2373 Mining sites visited, including 470 visits in the
Ground-based incident reporting in eastern DRC – Progress Report 2
February 15, 2019In January 2018, the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) granted IPIS funds to implement an independent, transparent and participatory platform for incident reporting and community empowerment in responsible sourcing in the Eastern DRC gold sector. This platform will contribute to improving transparency around follow-up and resolution of incidents in cooperation with relevant stak
Mapping artisanal and small-scale mining in northwest Tanzania
January 25, 2019IPIS has undertaken an unprecedented mobile data collection campaign, mapping 450 artisanal and small-scale mining and processing sites in northwest Tanzania. This serves to improve the evidence based on the sector, and contribute to a balanced understanding of its nature, scope and impact in Tanzania. Download the Report Visit the Interactive Webmap Download the full resolution static map (A0)
Capacity Building for a Responsible Minerals Trade
December 20, 2018With the support of the Capacity Building for Responsible Minerals Trade, IPIS developed and implemented a methodology aimed at assessing the responsible sourcing potential of gold mining areas in South-Kivu. IPIS conducted field missions in seven gold trading hubs and their surrounding mines in South-Kivu: Shabunda centre (Shabunda territory), Katchungu (Shabunda territory), Mapimo (Shabunda terr
Kufatilia: a new Incident Monitoring Mechanism for Gold Supply Chains
December 4, 2018“Today a man was killed in a pit collapse in an artisanal mining site near Numbi.” Civil society organizations, working to improve living conditions of artisanal and small-scale miners in Eastern DR Congo, regularly receive this kind of text message. Capture d’écran du système de Suivis des Incidents de l’Or (SIOr) Since a few weeks, incidents linked to the production, transport and selling of mi
Capacity building for responsible mineral trade – Gold in South Kivu, DR Congo
December 3, 2018With the support of the USAID program Capacity Building for Responsible Minerals Trade, IPIS developed and implemented a methodology aimed at assessing the responsible sourcing potential of gold mining areas in South-Kivu.IPIS conducted field missions in seven gold trading hubs and their surrounding mines in South-Kivu: Shabunda centre (Shabunda territory), Katchungu (Shabunda territory), Mapimo (
KP Civil Society disappointed by resistance to reform in the Kimberley Process
November 16, 2018The Kimberley Process (KP) Civil Society Coalition (CSC) pushed hard for reform in the 2018 KP Brussels Plenary, with very concrete proposals, amongst others on changing the definition of conflict diamonds beyond the limited and outdated scope of rough diamonds financing rebel movements. The CSC, together with industry (World Diamond Council) and Canada made a realistic proposal for a wider defini
Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition calls on all Members to deliver on improving global diamond governance
November 14, 2018Reform is high on the agenda of this year’s Kimberley Process Plenary under EU Chairmanship. The Kimberley Process – once a pioneering tripartite effort to stop diamonds from financing rebel groups – is struggling to provide an adequate answer to numerous human rights challenges associated with the diamond sector today. Aware of these enormous challenges, it was decided at the 2017 Plenary meeting
22 November – IPIS panel discussion on the Central African Republic
October 19, 2018Central African Republic: A Conflict Mapping IPIS kindly invites you to a panel discussion on the conflict in the Central African Republic on Thursday November 22, 4:30pm at the Jacqmotte Conference Center, Hoogstraat/Rue Haute 139 in Brussels. Please register at events@ipisresearch.be Programme 4:30 – Welcome Honorary Ambassador Johan Swinnen, Chair IPIS 4:40 – Keynote speech
Central African Republic: A Conflict Mapping (2018)
September 16, 2018In a new report and webmap on the longstanding crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), IPIS points out that access to resources remains the predominant driver of both armament and conflict in CAR. All armed groups operating in CAR are engaged in predation on one or more economic sectors. Such predation is not only a key determinant of an armed group’s movements and activities, but prov
IPIS welcomes UA Summer School students for workshop on responsible sourcing using IPIS maps
September 10, 2018On September 6th, 30 students from the University of Antwerp ‘Mine to Finger’ Summer School on diamonds participated in a responsible sourcing workshop organised by IPIS. They explored the upstream context of the diamond supply chain in Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) using IPIS webmaps. They engaged in a critical and nuanced discussion on various due dilig
Strengthening local voices: discover IPIS’ partner publication series “Voices from the South”
September 3, 2018Since 2017, IPIS has been closely collaborating with civil society actors from central and east Africa who want to share their perspective on subjects related to IPIS’ work. Their hands-on experience, unique knowledge and access to information offer local insights relevant to a large audience. With the editorial support from IPIS, local partners are encouraged to write down their research. This ha
Open data – Getting started using Excel
August 27, 2018Since 2009, the International Peace Information Service manages a database on mining site visits in eastern DR Congo. Since January 2017, IPIS publishes the data it has collected over the last decade on its Open Data page. This tutorial explains how to get started with the IPIS Open Data if you are using Microsoft Excel. Other documentation to this data includes an Open Data FAQ & Dictionary p
Annual Report 2017
August 21, 2018In its 2017 annual report, IPIS gives an overview of its research projects and activities. It covers the four research programmes that IPIS focusses on: natural resources, arms trade, conflict mapping and business and human rights. IPIS explains among others its mapping work of artisanal mining sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo, its work on Human Rights in mining in Northwest Tanzania an
Voix du Congo: Study on gold panning and the use of mercury in artisanal mining in Ituri
July 23, 2018See our series: VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the “Association des Exploitants Miniers Artisanaux pour la Pacification et Reconstruction de l’Ituri” (AEMAPRI), presents a study on gold panning and the use of mercury in Ituri. The Ituri Province is one of the DRC’s resource-rich provinces; notably gold, coltan, cassiterite, diamonds and oil. Gold production in Ituri is essentially
Ground-based incident reporting in Eastern DRC – Progress Report 1
July 23, 2018In January 2018, IPIS and its partner CEGEMI (a Bukavu-based research institute) launched a two-year project founded by EPRM to advance incident reporting and community participation in responsible sourcing through cooperative and CSO capacity enhancement in Eastern DR Congo gold sector. “First field visit to identify potential cooperative to be part of project activities.” Copyright: Gabriel KAMU
Kimberley Process intersessional meeting: civil society coalition calls for meaningful reform on definition of conflict diamonds
June 29, 2018At the Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting, held in Antwerp from 18-22 June, the KP civil society coalition (KP CSC) called for meaningful reforms, on the scope of the definition of conflict diamonds, on the KP’s governance structures, and on internal controls on governments to ensure a clean, conflict-free and legal diamond supply chains. The KP CSC is dismayed over the lack of progress
Voix du Congo: Fraud and mineral smuggling in the territory of Kalehe, South Kivu
April 15, 2018See our series: VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the “Centre National d’Appui au Développement et à la Participation Populaire” (CENADEP), presents a study on the channels of mineral fraud and smuggling in Kalehe (South Kivu) and, more specifically, the case of the Numbi/Lumbishi supply chain. In Kalehe territory, Numbi’s supply chain is one of the most important because it can produ
Voix du Congo: Taxation and parafiscality in artisanal mining in Tanganyika, DRC
April 5, 2018See our series: VOIX DU CONGO This publication, by the non-profit organization “Commission Diocésaine Justice et Paix” (CDJP Kalemie-Kirungu), presents a study on the legal and illegal taxation of artisanal mining activities by various actors in the province of Tanganyika, DRC. Artisanal mining is an activity that employs several thousand people in Tanganyika. Despite a 2002 law aiming at o
