The expansion of mining for strategic minerals in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo is encroaching on community-managed forests, leading to disputes over land access and causing environmental damage.
In Lu, a village in Haut-Katanga province, locals report that mining operations are moving into legally recognized community forest concessions. A community forest ranger stated that a new road to a mineral quarry at the Cauba site crosses their concession boundary and that barriers have been installed, preventing community members from accessing and maintaining their forest.
Forest ranger Corneille Makonga described an attempt at a land grab. He said a powerful individual arrived with heavy machinery, claiming to have purchased the forest despite the community holding official land documents. Makonga said the individual intended to start work on the land.
Residents also report that mining has polluted the local Lafi River. They state that during the dry season, mining operators release wastewater containing acids into the river, which then damages farmland. One resident said this pollution has made it impossible to successfully grow tomatoes, as crops now rot and become infested with insects.
Communities in the region say they are caught between protecting their legally held forests and the pressure from the growing mining industry.
