Rwanda-backed forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced late on Monday that they will pause their advance across the east citing humanitarian reasons, Al Jazeera reported.
The AFC/M23 rebel coalition said that it would implement a unilateral ceasefire starting on Tuesday. The group, backed by thousands of troops from neighbouring Rwanda, seized Goma, the main city in eastern DRC, last week. The United Nations estimated that 900 people died, while thousands have been displaced, as per Al Jazeera.
The rebels said in a statement posted on X(formerly Twitter), “The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) informs the public that in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the regime in Kinshasa it declares a ceasefire starting February 4, 2025 for humanitarian reasons.”
The rebels took over Goma and advanced towards Bukavu. Goma is a city of two million people and home to huge mineral wealth and Bukavu is another regional hub in eastern DRC. An intriguing aspect of the ongoing war in the DRC is that, alongside the battle for power, another key factor is driving the conflict—tantalum, a rare metal used in mobile phones.
As per a BBC report, tantalum is an essential metal used in smartphones and other electronic devices. A large share of this metal comes from Congo, where numerous mines are now controlled by the M23 rebel group. The rebels are leveraging mining profits to acquire weapons and recruit fighters, escalating the conflict even further.
According to the BBC, this rare, blue-grey, and lustrous metal possesses unique properties, such as the ability to store a high charge relative to its size and function across various temperatures. These characteristics make it an ideal material for tiny capacitors, which temporarily store energy.
While tantalum is extracted in countries like Rwanda, Brazil, and Nigeria, DR Congo remains the dominant source, supplying at least 40%—and possibly more—of the global demand. However, many of its key mining areas are now under the control of the M23 rebel group.
The M23 rebel group recently gained international attention by attacking the city of Goma, which is situated near the Rwanda border and serves as a key center for the mining industry. This strategic location enables the group to smuggle and sell the metals globally via Rwanda. Rwanda has been accused of backing the M23. In the past year, M23 has seized control of mineral-rich regions in DR Congo, where coltan – an ore used to extract tantalum – is mined.
The US’ Dodd-Frank Act, passed in 2010, along with similar legislation in the EU, was designed to prevent companies from inadvertently funding violence by purchasing “conflict minerals” such as tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold. However, these regulations have faced some criticism.
Ken Matthysen, a security and resource management expert with the independent research group Ipis, points out that the scattered nature of many small-scale mines makes it challenging for local authorities to effectively monitor activities across all areas.
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