An adviser to the Governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the confirmed death toll had reached at least 227.
The Reuters report further indicates that “Rubaya produces around 15% of the world's coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.”
“The site, where locals dig manually for a few dollars per day, has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024,” the report further says.
The tragedy comes amid renewed calls by the Local Ordinary of Kinshasa Catholic Archdiocese for resource management, and responsible governance.
In an interview with Vatican News on January 8, Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo warned that Africa’s persistent instability is closely linked to inequality and the exploitative management of natural resources.
Cardinal Ambongo, who also serves as President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) noted that Africa is often seen by external powers as a source of raw materials.
He recalled the late Pope Francis’ denunciation in Kinshasa, saying that Africa is viewed “as a well where we can go and look for what they call today strategic minerals, for their industry, to allow them to dominate the world.”
While insisting that resource extraction itself is not the problem, Cardinal Ambongo faulted the methods used. “We sometimes use certain Africans to access the minerals, our resources, but only for their own interest, not for the interest of the global population,” he lamented, warning that “as long as the system continues to function like this, we will always have war.”
The Congolese member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) also linked environmental degradation and climate change to irresponsible mining and forestry practices, calling on local communities in Africa and global actors alike to embrace collective responsibility and to place human dignity, solidarity, and care for creation at the center of economic activity.
In his address during an International Conference on Integral Ecology for the Survival and Well-being of Creation in the Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou in Benin, Cardinal Ambongo highlighted Africa’s vulnerability to climate change despite being one of the least contributors to pollution.
