Realities of artisanal and small-scale copper and cobalt mining in Lualaba province, DRC

September 25, 2026

To better understand the copper and cobalt ASM sector and its challenges, IPIS collaborated with the Congolese mining service SAEMAPE and the Kolwezi-based civil society organization IBGDH, to map 51 ASM sites in Lualaba province and interview key mining stakeholders. The study examines production, supply chain actors and trade practices, interference of armed actors and the challenging coexistenc