M23 rebels are establishing control over key mineral-rich territories in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Nations experts have warned.
The Tutsi-led rebels, active in North and South Kivu provinces, have seized key towns since April 2024 – allegedly with support from Rwandan forces, though Kigali denies involvement and says it is committed to a ceasefire and peace talks.
A report by the UN Security Council's Group of Experts accuses M23 of setting up shadow administrations to explot strategic mines and trade routes.
"This constitutes the most important contamination of supply chains with ineligible minerals recorded in the Great Lakes region over the last decade," they said in their report, released Wednesday.
The rebels are also accused of using forced labour to expand roads, and patrolling mining areas to make sure minerals were only sold to authorised Congolese and Rwandan traders.
The UN said M23 was financing its operations by exporting minerals from areas under its control, including coltan, a resource used in electronics like smartphones and computers.
It added that M23 had created a "mining ministry" to oversee coltan exports from Rubaya, home to one of the world’s largest deposits of the mineral.
"In this way, the militants collected at least $800,000 per month in taxes on coltan production and trade in Rubaya", the report said.
The ongoing territorial expansion has continued despite agreed ceasefires, suggesting M23's true aim is long-term occupation and exploitation of conquered areas, the UN experts added.
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A global issue
The UN report highlights concerns about how M23’s actions could affect global electronics manufacturers, which face pressure to ensure conflict-free supply chains.
Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.
Apple disputes the claims, saying it requires its suppliers to avoid sourcing from the region.
Conflict-mineral laws in the US and EU require companies to trace the origins of minerals from regions like eastern Congo. However, a 2022 Global Witness report said such regulations have failed to stop irregular trade.
Meanwhile the renewed violence has displaced more than 100,000 people in North Kivu since early 2025, reaching levels not seen in over a decade. This adds to the millions already displaced since M23’s resurgence in 2021.
DRC case against Apple brings new hope in conflict minerals crisis
Protests
Meanwhile, several hundred people demonstrated in Bukavu, South Kivu, on Wednesday to protest illegal mining in the country's east, where authorities are investigating claims of widespread illicit Chinese involvement.
The gathering followed the announcement on Sunday of the arrest of three Chinese nationals found in possession of gold bars and large sums of cash, according to South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi.
Local authorities in the resource-rich province say hundreds of mining companies, mainly Chinese, extract gold without declaring profits and often without valid operating permits.
"South Kivu minerals should serve the development and well-being of communities," read one banner held aloft at the demonstration, called by pro-democracy movements and unions.
(with newswires)
