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A powerful rebel coalition has claimed control of yet another mining town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), just over a week after capturing the region’s largest city, Goma.

Clashes between the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) rebel coalition and Congolese forces have resulted in over 3,000 deaths in under two weeks, according to DRC’s government.

The AFC, which includes the M23 armed group, took over Nyabibwe, a mineral-rich town, last week—shortly after Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, fell on January 27. The M23, which claims to represent the interests of the Rwandophone minority, has long been accused of fueling instability in the resource-rich region.

This takeover follows a similar move last year, when the rebels captured Rubaya, another mining hub in eastern DRC, home to one of the world’s largest coltan deposits—a crucial mineral used in smartphone production.

For decades, DRC—a nation of over 100 million people—has been plagued by violent militia conflicts, driven by ethnic and resource-based disputes. The M23 and dozens of other armed groups have been at the center of bloody battles for control over the region's vast mineral wealth.

Despite being roughly the size of Western Europe, the war-torn country holds the world’s largest reserves of cobalt and coltan—two essential minerals used in electronics manufacturing.

• Cobalt is crucial for batteries that power smartphones and electric vehicles.
• Coltan is refined into tantalum, a key component in smartphones and other electronic devices.

However, the World Bank notes that most Congolese citizens have not benefited from this wealth. DRC remains among the five poorest countries globally, with much of its mineral riches controlled by the government and armed groups operating in the eastern region.

“Access to natural resources is at the heart of this conflict,” said Jean Pierre Okenda, an expert in extractive industries governance.
“It’s no coincidence that rebel-controlled areas are mining zones. Global demand for cobalt and coltan has fueled this crisis.”
 

“Waging war requires financing, and controlling mining sites funds these conflicts,” he added.
 

Victor Tesongo, spokesperson for the AFC-M23 alliance, confirmed to CNN that the group controls the coltan-rich mines in Rubaya and Nyabibwe. However, he did not disclose how much revenue the group earns from these resources or how the funds are utilized.

A United Nations official, however, provided insight into the financial operations of the rebels.

Bintou Keita, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to DRC, told the Security Council in September that coltan from Rubaya accounts for over 15% of global tantalum production. She estimated that M23 earns around $300,000 per month from coltan sales.

While M23 denies profiting from the mines, claiming its presence in Rubaya is purely humanitarian, the Congolese government and international community have repeatedly accused neighboring Rwanda of backing M23 and facilitating the looting of DRC’s mineral wealth.

UN experts estimate that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are actively supporting M23 fighters in eastern DRC—outnumbering the rebels themselves.

A December UN report revealed that at least 150 tons of coltan had been illegally exported to Rwanda, where it was blended with local production to obscure its origins.

DRC Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya told CNN last week that Rwanda’s mineral exports surged after its forces took control of key mining areas in DRC.

Despite widespread allegations, Rwandan President Paul Kagame denied knowledge of Rwandan troops operating in DRC, insisting that Rwanda sources coltan from its own mines.

In a previous speech, Kagame admitted that Rwanda acts as a transit hub for smuggled minerals but denied stealing from DRC.

“People come from Congo, whether through smuggling or legal channels, bringing minerals here. But they don’t stay in Rwanda—they are sent to Dubai, Brussels, Tel Aviv, and Russia,” Kagame said, without specifying which minerals were involved.
 

The U.S. Treasury Department reported in 2022 that over 90% of DRC’s gold was being smuggled to neighboring Uganda and Rwanda, where it was then refined and exported to global markets, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A Belgian businessman was sanctioned for facilitating this trade.

When it comes to other valuable minerals like coltan and cobalt, the full extent of illegal exports remains unclear.

In December, DRC filed a lawsuit against Apple subsidiaries in Belgium and France, accusing the company of sourcing conflict minerals. Apple has denied these allegations.

Every year, major tech companies—such as Apple and Microsoft—release reports outlining their commitment to responsible mineral sourcing.

In a 2023 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple stated that while it sources tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold (3TG) and other minerals like cobalt and lithium from DRC, it remains committed to international due diligence standards.

The company added that after extensive audits, no reasonable evidence suggested that its suppliers directly or indirectly financed armed groups in DRC or its neighboring countries.

As the global demand for smartphones, electric vehicles, and other electronics grows, so does the competition for the minerals needed to manufacture them.

For the people of DRC, this has translated into endless cycles of war, displacement, and suffering, as armed groups and foreign actors battle for control of the country’s resources.

With rebels seizing more mining towns and regional tensions escalating, the conflict over DRC’s vast mineral wealth shows no signs of abating.