Shifting frontlines in October, November and December – Limits of diplomacy: AFC/M23 advances after Washington Accords
December 19, 2025On 4 December 2025, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed the US-brokered Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, committing to cease hostilities, establish a permanent ceasefire, and implement the 25 April Declaration of Principles and the 27 June Peace Agreement. However, critical questions have been raised about the prospects for lasting peace in eastern DRC, as Kig
Workshops to present the results of the mapping of artisanal mining sites carried out in Ituri
December 19, 2025Following this research, the results were presented in workshops in the above-mentioned territories to mining monitoring committees and project stakeholders in August 2025, facilitated by the IPIS focal point, Justice Plus staff and the IPIS research team. The aim of these feedback sessions was to share the results of our research with local actors in order to make them more accessible, enable the
From decline to development: Reviving the diamond sector in Kasaï Oriental
December 17, 2025Earlier this year, IPIS published a report, “Diamonds in the DRC: A sector struggling to shine again”, which analyzed the current dynamics in the DRC’s diamond mining sector, including production trends, key challenges for both the large-scale (LSM) and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sectors, as well as efforts and opportunities to revive the sector and increase its impact on local develop
Mapping artisanal mining sites in the Kibali gold mine concession in Faradje territory, Haut-Uélé, DRC
December 8, 2025In the Faradje administrative territory in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Haut-Uélé province, more than 5,000 people rely on artisanal gold mining to earn a living and support their families. Many artisanal-mining families have done so for generations. They currently work on sites that now fall largely within mining permits owned by Kibali Goldmines (Kibali), a joint venture of Ba
Infrastructure, extraction, and accountability around the Lobito Corridor in southern DRC
December 3, 2025Geopolitical framing of the Lobito Corridor The Lobito Corridor aims to connect the port of Lobito (Angola) to mineral-rich provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as the Zambian Copperbelt through a combination of rehabilitated and newly constructed rail infrastructure. Although not a new initiative, the project became a flagship of the
Op-ed: A more strategic raw materials policy is needed, but cynically looking the other way is not the solution
November 20, 2025In an op-ed in De Morgen, IPIS’ Director Filip Reyniers and Chair Loïc De Cannière respond to Mark Elchardus, who recently argued that it would be “incomprehensible” and an example of “moral blindness” if the EU decided to end its raw materials agreement with Rwanda, in particular when it comes to Rwandese tungsten.
Militarization, gender, and resource extraction in the Kivus post-January 2025
October 30, 2025The Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has experienced a significant shift in its conflict landscape over the last few years, and particularly after January 2025, involving a major territorial expansion by the M23 rebellion, and in response, the increased presence of local armed groups under the banner of the “Wazalendo”. This intensification of conflict has led to increased
Addressing conflict hotspots in environmental degradation and resource governance: The role of EU due diligence frameworks
October 23, 2025The European Union has developed a set of due diligence frameworks aimed at improving corporate accountability in mineral supply chains, particularly those linked to conflict-affected and high-risk areas. These regulations, such as the Conflict Minerals Regulation, the Battery Regulation, and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), seek to address both social and environmenta
M23’s territorial advances in July, August, and September 2025 – Escalating violence and fragile peace in eastern DRC’s Kivu regions
October 17, 2025New peace agreements from Washington and Doha have brought hope for initiating a pathway to resolve the ongoing M23-conflict in DRC’s eastern territories in recent months. However, after the signing of the Declaration of Principles in Doha on 19 July, direct negotiations between the DRC and AFC/M23 were intended to result in a comprehensive peace agreement and were planned to begin no later than 8
Voix du Congo – The smuggling of coltan from South Kivu to Rwanda: Routes, factors, and implementation
July 22, 2025The escalation of conflict in eastern DRC has sparked increased media attention on coltan and its role as a driver of violence. While most coverage has focused on the production and (il)legal trade of coltan in North Kivu, smuggling is also widespread in South Kivu. This report examines the key smuggling routes, contributing factors, and practices.
Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfers on socio-economic and subjective well-being in an artisanal mining community in the DRC: Highlights from a midline assessment
July 18, 2025Cash transfer programmes that provide financial support directly to households have been implemented in many countries as an alternative strategy to fight poverty and to strengthen social protection. In 2021, the Belgian non-profit organisation Eight launched a UCT programme in an artisanal mining zone in the province of Maniema, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. IPIS conducted a pilot and cont
M23’s territorial advances in June – A long path to peace: Renewed efforts to resolve the M23 conflict in Eastern Congo
July 18, 2025New mediation efforts have been made throughout June to end the ongoing conflict between the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels and pro-government forces in the North and South Kivu regions of eastern Congo. On June 27th, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington, D.C., aimed at de-escalating tensions and fostering regional stability after years of conflict in easte
Diamonds in the DRC: A sector struggling to shine again
April 23, 2025The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is an important player in the global diamond industry, with considerable untapped potential. This report discusses the current state of play in the DRC’s diamond mining sector, including production trends, key challenges, as well as efforts and opportunities to revive the sector and to increase its impact on local development and socio-economic well-being
Mineral extraction, environmental harm, and conflict: The role of EU due diligence in promoting sustainable practices in conflict hotspots
April 16, 2025In many conflict-prone regions, mining activities often contribute to both environmental degradation and the intensification of local conflicts. These issues are exacerbated by weak governance structures, poor enforcement of regulations, corruption and limited accountability for extractive industries. Environmental harm, such as temporary tree cover loss and long-term deforestation, water pollutio
The rising spotlight on coltan: Understanding its strategic importance and role in the Eastern Congo conflict
March 25, 2025In the past two decades, there has probably been no time when coltan has been discussed as much as it is today. Initially brought to global attention in the early 2000s, coltan was wrongly portrayed as the main cause of the conflict in Eastern Congo and was subsequently labelled as a “conflict mineral.” However, following the capture of Goma by the M23 rebel group in January 2025, supported by the
Promoting DDR programmes while arming non-state armed groups: Congo’s paradoxical conflict resolution policies in the context of the M23 insurgency
February 11, 2025When President Félix Tshisekedi came to power in 2019, he firmly promised the Congolese citizens to end the conflicts and restore peace in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). To reach these goals, his government wanted to combine regional diplomacy to establish political and security cooperation between DRC and neighbouring countries, with enhanced military operations against armed groups
The (new) M23 offensive on Goma: Why this long-lasting conflict is not only about minerals and what are its implications? – Q&A
February 6, 2025By the morning of January 29th, the rebels largely controlled the strategic city of Goma. To provide a quick and understandable explanation of the causes of this humanitarian crisis, the role of natural resources, and in particular minerals, is often overemphasized. While mining and mineral trade inevitably play an important role — being a vital part of the local economy — it is important to asses
Mining and conflict in the eastern DRC: An interactive story map
February 15, 2024Conflict-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
Kufatilia evolves into a civil society network, now equipped with a new platform to follow up on mining incidents
January 19, 2024First annual meeting of the newly established Kufatilia network In November 2023, IPIS’ Kufatilia partners traveled to Bunia and Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to attend the first annual meeting of the newly established Kufatilia network. Consisting of two separate conferences in Ituri and South Kivu, the meeting brought together twenty-two partnered Congolese civil s
IPIS Event: Congolese cobalt, EU regulations, and direct investment
January 9, 2024On the 30th of November, IPIS hosted its annual panel discussion, this time on current challenges facing the cobalt sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the potential impact of European Union (EU) regulations to improve these. Moderated by Lotte Hoex, the panel consisted of Esperant Mwishamali, independent researcher on cobalt artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the DRC,
