For the reason that starting of 2026, at the very least 4 landslides are reported to have killed lots of of individuals on the Rubaya mines within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a main world supply of coltan. Coltan is extensively utilized in smartphones, laptops and e-vehicles.
With the mines at the moment beneath the management of the Rwandan-backed group M23, and entry restricted to journalists and lots of NGOs, the true variety of casualties stays unclear. Frequent mobile community disruptions have additionally been reported throughout the area.
Within the absence of dependable on-the-ground protection, Bellingcat used open supply strategies to look at statements from the authorities and media stories. Bellingcat confirmed a number of incidents through which villages had been engulfed within the landslide and residents dwelling close to the mine had been amongst these killed.
Landslide No.1 – January 28
Studies of a lethal landslide killing greater than 200 folks started showing in worldwide media in late January and early February.
Three days after the incident, the DRC authorities made a assertion on Fb outlining that at the very least 200 folks had been killed. They mentioned the landslide was “a consequence of the rampant and unlawful mining by Rwanda and the M23/AFC”.
In response, the M23-appointed native governor, Lumumba Muyisa, informed Reuters that at the very least 200 folks had been killed, however attributed the landslide to heavy rains.
Landslides are widespread in small-scale mines, particularly throughout the wet season, which in Rubaya spans from September to Might and peaks between March and April.
Bellingcat cross-checked native media stories towards one of many few social media posts in regards to the incident, geolocating the telephone footage to a mining pit south-east of Rubaya. Within the video, the narrator talking in Kinyarwanda (the nationwide language of Rwanda, additionally spoken in japanese DRC) pans from the highest to the underside of the slope. Filmed at a distance, no our bodies are seen within the footage.
Satellite tv for pc imagery captured earlier than and after the primary landslide exhibits how the mud superior down the slope.
Landslide No.2 – March 3
Simply over a month later, a second landslide was reported. On Fb, the DR Congo Ministry of Mines launched an announcement together with a provisional loss of life toll of greater than 200 folks:
Nevertheless, senior M23 official Fanny Kaj, talking to AP, rejected the DRC authorities’s claims, stating:
“I can affirm what persons are publishing isn’t true. There was no landslide; there have been bombings, and the loss of life toll isn’t what persons are saying. It’s merely about 5 individuals who died,” Kaj mentioned.
The identical day the second landslide was reported, one other M23 spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, introduced an assault involving “fight drones and heavy artillery”, at a location greater than 250km from Rubaya.
Talking to eyewitnesses on the mines, worldwide media reported a landslide triggered by heavy rains, with no point out of bombings – solely of employees buried beneath the earth.
Bellingcat verified a number of social media movies of the second incident, through which dozens of persons are seen digging for these buried beneath the mud. The clip under is an edited excerpt that excludes graphic photographs of our bodies.
Edited video clip (left) geolocated to the digital camera icon (proper). The white line (proper) exhibits the digital camera’s motion because it pans throughout the slope. Supply: Planet Labs PBC, March 26, 2026.
Later within the video, because the digital camera zooms in on a number of our bodies, the narrator talking in Kinyarwanda says: “These you may see right here have simply been pulled out. These persons are lifeless, however others are persevering with to the search operations.”
Because of the low high quality of the footage, an correct physique rely was not doable.
Bellingcat geolocated footage of landslide No. 2 to the identical location as landslide No. 1, proven within the satellite tv for pc imagery under.
M23 didn’t reply to a request for touch upon findings contradicting senior official Fanny Kaj’s declare that no landslide occurred on 3 March.
Landslide No.3 – March 7
4 days later, a 3rd landslide was reported, with estimates of greater than 300 folks killed, in accordance with civil society official Telesphore Nitendike. Talking to EFE, Nitendike mentioned the landslide had affected “greater than 40 households” as homes had been “swept away” by the mud.
Satellite tv for pc imagery exhibits the landslide advancing from east to west as mud surged down the slope.
Earlier than and after the third landslide on March, 3. Supply: Planet Labs PBC.
Bellingcat verified greater than a dozen social media movies from the third incident, the bulk posted on X by native media accounts. Nearly all contained extremely distressing content material, together with the our bodies of younger youngsters. In a single video, the narrator walks by way of a crowd of greater than 100 folks, then stops and pans throughout a number of our bodies lined with blankets, saying:
“These our bodies had been discovered right here in Gatabi [name of village], inside homes. You’ll be able to see how the homes had been swallowed. The seek for residents remains to be ongoing. It’s actually a tragedy.”
As he continues filming, at the very least seven unclothed our bodies, all younger youngsters, are seen being carried down the slope.
“You see, there, that’s one other youngster’s physique. These are youngsters who had been sleeping of their houses. Some had been nonetheless in mattress once they had been swallowed by the landslide.”
Left: Video clip exhibits a physique lined with a blanket on a stretcher. Proper: Video clip exhibits the community-led rescue effort. The background satellite tv for pc picture exhibits geolocated pins marking the movies. Supply: Planet Labs PBC, 16 February 2026.
Bellingcat geolocated 12 social media movies of the third landslide to a location southwest of Rubaya city.
Landslide No.4 – March 27
A fourth landslide was reported on the finish of March by native retailers, describing the collapse of two mining shafts and the loss of life of at the very least 9 employees.
Satellite tv for pc evaluation, mixed with the geolocation of 1 social media video, signifies the fourth incident happened on the similar location as landslides No.1 and No.2.
Earlier than and after the fourth landslide on March 27. Yellow field highlights homes engulfed within the mud. Supply: Planet Labs PBC.
Regardless of repeated makes an attempt by Bellingcat to contact the DRC authorities and M23 for up to date casualty figures throughout all 4 incidents, neither celebration responded.
In February of this 12 months, human rights group International Witness referred to as on firms and governments utilizing or buying and selling DRC’s coltan to make sure mine operators adhere to worldwide human rights and environmental requirements.
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Bellingcat additionally contacted the DRC authorities spokesman and minister for communication and media, Patrick Muyaya, concerning a publish he made on X that Bellingcat discovered to be selling misinformation in regards to the price of growth of the mines whereas beneath M23 management.
Within the publish, Muyaya urges followers to observe a video that presents itself as an open supply report however consists of satellite tv for pc imagery falsely attributed to Bellingcat and “Planet Labs Inc.” We will affirm that this isn’t our work. The imagery additionally seems to not be from Planet Labs PBC, however from Google Earth Professional (illustrated under).
The fabricated video was initially posted in 2025 by the Fb account, Congo Kinshasa.
Contacted by Bellingcat, Congo Kinshasa confirmed that they had been the creator of the video. Requested to clarify why the satellite tv for pc photographs had been mislabeled and the evaluation wrongly attributed to Bellingcat, they responded: “I don’t perceive you. What precisely is your drawback?”
Minister Patrick Muyaya didn’t reply to our request for touch upon his publish selling false data.
Claire Press contributed to this report.
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The publish Congo’s Coltan Belt: Verifying Lethal Landslides At Mines Beneath M23 Management appeared first on bellingcat.
