A landslide at the Safi mining site on March 11, 2026, killed eleven artisanal miners within the Boss Mining concession in Kakanda, Lubudi territory, Lualaba province. The Service for Assistance and Oversight of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (SAEMAPE) conducted a technical inspection and issued recommendations to competent authorities. The incident took place on Boss Mining’s legally titled concession PE469 — a zone where artisanal mining activity is, by definition, illegal. Boss Mining, a subsidiary of ERG Africa and partner of Gécamines, has condemned persistent unauthorised operations on its concession and denied any responsibility for the accident.
A deadly collapse in a concession under chronic pressure
The accident occurred around 6:00 a.m., when a sand embankment overlooking the Safi quarry pit collapsed onto artisanal miners at work. According to local civil society sources cited by Anadolu Agency, at least twelve bodies had been recovered from the rubble by the evening of March 11. SAEMAPE’s inspection report, published on March 13, put the confirmed death toll at eleven. Victims were reportedly working without any protective equipment.
The Safi site is located approximately 100 kilometres from Kolwezi, within the perimeter of mining concession PE469, owned by Boss Mining. The company is not directly operating the site. It has submitted repeated notifications to competent authorities due to the persistent presence of unauthorised artisanal miners within the concession perimeter.
SAEMAPE inspects and issues recommendations
In its March 13 inspection report, SAEMAPE identified multiple technical factors behind the collapse: material instability, failure to comply with pit stability management standards, inadequate management of rainwater and groundwater infiltration, and a complete absence of activity supervision on site.
Following its inspection, SAEMAPE issued a series of recommendations: suspension of artisanal activities in the affected zone, replacement of military personnel currently on site with the Mining and Hydrocarbons Police, and an urgent technical assessment of all unstable areas within the Safi site. These remain recommendations, however. SAEMAPE does not hold the legal authority to order the closure of a concession formally titled to an industrial operator. Decision-making power rests with the Ministry of Mines and the relevant state services.
Boss Mining condemns illegal operations, denies liability
In a statement issued on March 12, Boss Mining expressed condolences to victims’ families while firmly rejecting any direct responsibility for the accident. The company states that the activities which led to the tragedy are “neither controlled nor authorised” by Boss Mining, and that all required regulatory notifications have been submitted to relevant authorities — including the Ministries of Mines, Environment and Interior, the National Commission Against Mining Fraud, and relevant provincial and local authorities.
Boss Mining states that its teams have been flagging risks linked to illegal artisanal activity on the concession since 2022, and that armed groups have periodically obstructed lawful access to parts of the perimeter.
ERG Africa, Boss Mining’s parent company, reiterated that legal artisanal mining can contribute to socio-economic development in the DRC, but that unregulated activities pose serious risks to workers, local communities, and the environment.
A long-standing land dispute
The incident comes against a backdrop of prolonged tension over the Kakanda concession. In May 2025, representatives of twenty-seven local communities staged a protest march denouncing what they described as the systematic looting of the area’s natural resources by foreign operators backed by military elements, amid persistent inaction from competent authorities.
No official response from the relevant ministries had been issued at the time of publication.
