Masisi : more than 200 dead in landslide at artisanal mine in Rubaya

Goma, January 31, 2026 – A tragedy has struck the artisanal mining site of Rubaya, in the Masisi territory of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 200 miners lost their lives in a landslide on Thursday, January 29, as heavy rains lashed the region.

The disaster occurred on Mount Gakombe, not far from the center of Rubaya, burying many workers who were in the tunnels at the time of the accident. According to eyewitness accounts, the death toll could rise, as several people are still missing under the rubble.

“The accident happened while all the workers were at the bottom of the shafts.” “Most of them are still buried,” Mr. Muhindo, an artisanal miner, told SOS Médias Burundi.

He calls for the modernization of mining operations and the introduction of appropriate machinery, along with increased safety measures, to prevent such tragedies from recurring.

Rubaya : mineral wealth, human impoverishment

Rubaya is one of the most strategic mining hubs in North Kivu, thanks to the diversity and abundance of its minerals. The site is home to one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, supplying a significant portion of the tantalum used in the electronics industry and new technologies.

Yet, this wealth contrasts sharply with the extreme poverty of the local population. Basic infrastructure is inadequate : dilapidated roads, a lack of health and education facilities, and little social investment. The population lives in poverty, while artisanal mining remains extremely dangerous.

Rubaya is located in an area controlled by the M23, a movement composed mainly of Congolese Tutsis, part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC) led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The coalition advocates for a federal state in the DRC and has established a parallel administration, controlling the provincial capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu.

The Governor of North Kivu, Bahati Musanga Erasto (AFC/M23), confirmed the scale of the tragedy and stated that no definitive official death toll was available, adding that measures would be taken to protect artisanal miners operating in the region.