The regulation of artisanal mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo is seeing a new development. The Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, decided to suspend Jean-Paul Kapongo Kadiobo from his duties as director general of SAEMAPE, according to a ministerial order signed on Tuesday, October 21, 2026.
This measure is based on several grievances relating to the exercise of his responsibilities, particularly in the provinces of Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, two major hubs of the Congolese mining industry where industrial operations and artisanal activities coexist.
Alleged irregularities in concessions
Among the facts reproached to the suspended official is the failure to fulfill the duties of his functions. The order notably attributes to him the absence of sufficient measures to prevent illicit artisanal mining within conceded mining perimeters.
The document also mentions the irregular installation of SAEMAPE collection services within certain mining concessions. According to the grievances formulated, these practices would have harmed the enjoyment of the rights of concession holders and exposed the Congolese State to the consequences of harm suffered by third parties.
These accusations raise the question of coexistence between artisanal miners and industrial mining companies. In the copper- and cobalt-producing provinces of the country’s southeast, control of access to conceded perimeters remains an important issue for the safety of operations, the protection of mining rights and compliance with the regulations in force.
The role of SAEMAPE in question
Tasked with assisting and supervising artisanal and small-scale miners, SAEMAPE occupies an important place in the organization of this activity in the DRC. Its action aims in particular to promote a better-supervised exercise of artisanal mining, in compliance with legal and regulatory provisions.
The suspension of its director general thus comes in a context where the control of artisanal activities and the prevention of intrusions into industrial concessions constitute challenges for the mining authorities.
The ministerial order provides for immediate application of the measure, upon its signature. The secretary general for Mines is tasked with its execution. However, the document does not specify the name of the person called upon to ensure the interim at the head of the service.
The aftermath of this decision will be decisive in assessing its effects on the functioning of SAEMAPE and on the mechanisms for supervising artisanal mining in the country’s main mining provinces.
The grievances mentioned in the order constitute accusations that must be distinguished from definitively established facts.
Héritier Maila
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