In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the mining company Twangiza accuses M23 rebels of looting its gold mining concession in South Kivu province. Nearly 500 kilos of gold were stolen in five months, according to the company, representing an estimated loss of around $70 million. The AFC/M23 rejects the accusations. During a press conference this Thursday, Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the rebel movement, stated that the company had already, in a statement issued in May, ceased its activities.

The M23 rebels are said to have relied on the help of "certain employees " of the Twangiza mine to transport the stolen gold : this is what the company explained in a response to Reuters on Monday, October 20. An initial batch of 50 kilos was allegedly stolen and then more and more kilos of gold were " discreetly transported through underground channels ."

The losses are heavy for the company. Since the M23 took over the mine in May, it has reportedly lost more than 100 kg of gold per month, as well as $5 million worth of equipment and materials.

According to Reuters, the company is preparing a formal complaint before international arbitration bodies and the Congolese authorities. It has also declared force majeure, as the mine reportedly suffered a drone strike on October 15. This reportedly destroyed the mine's power generation infrastructure. No information is available on who is believed to be responsible for this strike.

The Twangiza gold concession was operated by the Canadian mining group Banro, which decided to leave in 2020. The company is now managed by Shomka Resources, registered in Hong Kong .

The company also accuses the rebels of evicting residents, demolishing churches, and using Rwandan technicians to extract geological data in order to resume and expand mining. It explains that there are reportedly " more than 150 workers remaining on the site " still occupied by the M23. " We cannot contact them ," it adds.

The Rwandan government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

AFC/U23 rejects accusations

During a press conference this Thursday, Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the rebel movement, affirmed that the company had already, in a press release published in May, ended its activities.

" In her own statement, she explained that the proceeds of the exploitation had already been transported from Twangiza to other sites before the arrival of the AFC/M23, including the gold stock. Upon arrival, the AFC/M23 identified equipment in Bukavu, equipment intended for this exploitation. That said, the mine is no longer in operation ," he said, before adding: " However, artisanal miners continue to work there, as they have been doing for a long time. We are not miners, we are revolutionaries ," declared Corneille Nangaa.