LCARF News Observatory in DRC provides a space for reflection and debate that brings together an audience of academics, civil society actors, decision makers and young researchers on the socio-economic, political and environmental issues of the DRC. It aims to decipher local events and their implications for Congolese communities.
Since December 2025, Lualaba Province has been shaken by a major crisis linked to Ministerial Order No. 00964/CAB.MIN/MINES/01/2025, dated 19 December 2025, suspending the artisanal exploitation of copper and cobalt. This decision, taken to clean up the sector and combat fraud, brutally deprived thousands of families of their livelihoods in Kolwezi, Fungurume and surrounding areas. Social anger degenerated into urban riots, violent clashes with law enforcement and partial socio-economic paralysis. The result is heavy: at least two dead, many injured, and a climate of fear and distrust installed.
Faced with this emergency, the partial lifting announced on 05 January 2026 appears as a bandage on a wooden leg, without dealing with the root causes of the malaise: the absence of operational Artisanal Operations Areas (ACEZs), the opacity of commercial channels, the infiltration of the sector by illegitimate actors (military, political and administrative actors) and the marginalization of the diggers.
The purpose of this Observatory session is therefore to:
- Analyse the structural roots and immediate consequences of the Lualaba crisis;
- Assess the effectiveness and fairness of government measures (suspension and partial lifting) in the light of social realities;
- Propose credible and sustainable ways out of the crisis; anchored in formalization, social justice and inclusive dialogue.
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