ERG urges Congo to end illegal mining after deadly landslide

A Eurasian Resources Group unit urged the Democratic Republic of Congo to stop illegal mining activities on one of the firm’s copper licenses following a deadly landslide.

Illicit mining caused the landslide on March 11 that “led to fatalities and injuries,” Boss Mining SAS said in a statement Thursday. The copper producer – in which ERG owns a 51% stake – said the Congolese authorities should restore its “lawful access to these areas.”

Congo’s mineral-rich southeastern region has made the country the world’s leading supplier of battery metal cobalt and No. 2 producer of copper. While industrial operations account for most output, hundreds of thousands of so-called artisanal miners work in the informal economy, often digging up ore within permits held by major companies.

Boss Mining has alerted Congo’s government since 2022 to the “significant risks posed by the heavy presence of illegal, semi-mechanized and unauthorized” mining on its concession, according to the statement. The firm’s employees “have been denied access to this site due to the presence of unauthorized armed individuals,” it added.

The company didn’t say how many people were injured or killed by the landslide.

ERG also has other assets in Congo, including the Frontier copper mine and Metalkol, which is one of the world’s largest sources of cobalt. Congo’s state-owned Gecamines owns 49% of Boss Mining.

Luxembourg-registered ERG is 40% owned by the government of Kazakhstan, where the company produces iron ore, ferrochrome and aluminum.

(By William Clowes)