IPIS: Ongoing violence in the mines of Katanga

With all the media attention going to the east of Congo, a new report by IPIS turns the spotlight to ongoing human rights abuses in mining areas in Katanga. Together with Zambia, this southern province contains the largest deposit of copper in Africa.

Local human rights activists have reported severe human rights abuses against the poor and unprotected local miners in the north of the province, near the city of Likasi. Ex-combatants are using the remoteness and lawlessness of this mining area to make quick profits; they use violence and force the miners to pay bribes.

This is the third update of an ongoing research project of IPIS, Mapping Conflict Motives in War Areas: Katanga. The aim of the research is to show what motives armed groups have to continue or start violent behaviour. This project's reports show that the presence of mining assets such as coltan and copper are a motive for conflict for many former government soldiers and former rebel groups in Congo. In addition, the report emphasises that the severe situation in East Congo affects conflict in other parts of the country. Therefore, conflict prone areas such as Katanga should not be forgotten.

IPIS works together with local organisations who on a daily basis gather information about violent incidents in and around their mining communities.

Read the Update

More on the project Mapping Conflict Motives in War Areas see the Dossier http://www.fataltransactions.org/Dossiers/Mapping-Conflict-Motives-in-War-Areas