Tensions around artisanal mining are increasing in Lualaba province. On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, several artisanal diggers demonstrated in Kolwezi to express their dissatisfaction with their evacuation from the Kamilombe site and their planned resettlement in the artisanal mining zone (ZEA) 371.
In a press release published the same day, the NGO Action Sans Frontière (ASF), specialized in the defense of human rights and natural resource governance, calls on the provincial authorities to reconcile the cleaning up of the artisanal mining sector with the protection of the economic interests of the operators concerned.
Thousands of actors concerned
According to ASF, between 20,000 and 30,000 artisanal miners would be affected by this operation. In addition to these, there are ore washers, transporters and small traders whose income depends directly on mining activity at the site.
The organization deplores the absence of a clear and consensual evacuation timetable, as well as the lack of assessment of the investments made by the diggers in their extraction pits. These uncertainties fuel concerns about the economic consequences of their displacement.
Compensation in question
Another point of friction: the amount of compensation envisaged. Citing concordant sources, ASF reports a proposal of 1,000 US dollars per operator to cover the investments made in each pit.
The NGO considers this sum potentially insufficient given the investments concerned. It believes that such an approach, without effective involvement of the people affected, risks exacerbating social tensions and compromising peace in the region.
The viability of ZEA 371 under debate
Faced with this situation, ASF recommends the opening of frank dialogue between the provincial authorities, the artisanal diggers and the heads of mining cooperatives. It also advocates for fair compensation, a reasonable evacuation period and guarantees on the profitability of the resettlement site.
The cooperatives are, for their part, invited to prioritize dialogue to reach a concerted solution.
Beyond the demonstrations, the Kamilombe case raises a major challenge for Lualaba: organizing artisanal mining without weakening the livelihoods of thousands of people. The success of the relocation will depend in particular on the ability of the authorities to reconcile regulation of the sector, economic viability and social stability.
Héritier Maila / Demester Maloba
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