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Since the beginning of 2026, at least four landslides have reportedly killed hundreds of people at the Rubaya mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a major global source of coltan. www.bellingcat.com/news/africa/...

bellingcat.comDRC’s Coltan Belt: Verifying Deadly Landslides At Mines Under M23 Control - bellingcatHundreds reportedly died in landslides at DRC’s Rubaya coltan mines. What can open sources verify?

12/5/26, 10:46 am119 reposts244 likes

Bellingcat

@bellingcat.com

12 May

With the mines currently under the control of the Rwandan-backed group M23, and access restricted to journalists and many NGOs, the true number of casualties remains unclear. main.un.org/securitycoun...

Bellingcat

@bellingcat.com

12 May

Bellingcat used open source methods to examine statements from the authorities and media reports. Bellingcat confirmed several incidents in which villages were engulfed in the landslide and residents living near the mine were among those killed.

Bellingcat

@bellingcat.com

12 May

After a landslide on March 4, the Congolese Ministry of Mines released a statement on Facebook including a provisional death toll of more than 200 people.

Bellingcat

@bellingcat.com

12 May

According to AP, a M23 official rejected the DRC government’s claims, stating: “I can confirm what people are publishing is not true. There was no landslide; there were bombings, and the death toll isn’t what people are saying. It’s simply about five people who died.” apnews.com/article/cong...

apnews.comMine collapse in eastern Congo leaves 200 dead, authorities say. But rebels dispute the numberA mine collapse at Congo’s key Rubaya coltan site has killed a number of miners. Officials and rebels sharply dispute the extent of the death toll.