Congo suspends artisanal mining agency head for failing to prevent illegal activities
XLB•The Democratic Republic of Congo’s mines minister suspended SAEMAPE head Jean-Paul Kadiobo Kapongo, accusing him of failing to prevent illegal mining on licensed concessions, particularly in Lualaba and Haut-Katanga.
1. Suspension takes effect
Mines Minister Louis Kabamba Watum suspended Jean-Paul Kadiobo Kapongo, director general of the Service d'Assistance et d'Encadrement de l'Exploitation Miniere Artisanale et a Petite Echelle (SAEMAPE), on October 21. The order accused Kapongo of failing to prevent illegal artisanal mining on concession areas and of improperly establishing revenue-collection services inside those areas. The suspension took immediate effect and was communicated to government agencies and provincial authorities on October 22.
2. Mining enforcement context
Congo is grappling with a resurgence in artisanal mining as higher metal prices draw informal miners into licensed areas, creating tensions with industrial operators. Authorities this week also restarted operations at the Musompo trading centre near Kolwezi, a facility designed to improve transparency in mineral sales through certified weighing and analysis.
