The role of the exploitation of natural resources in fuelling and prolonging crises in the eastern DRC

This report describes and assesses the different categories of actors and the processes, chains and linkages that are involved in mining and trading of minerals in the Kivu provinces and in the territory of Ituri in eastern DRC.

For more than a decade, research has stressed the importance of the economic dimension of conflict, and of the economic interests of belligerents.

Competition among political, military and business actors for the control of mineral resources in the east of DRC is being increasingly recognised as a pivotal factor in assessing the causes of instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This report is based on a thorough review of all the main literature on the subject since 2000. It describes and assesses the different categories of actors and the processes, chains and linkages that are involved in mining and trading of minerals in the Kivu provinces and in the territory of Ituri.

It also reveals some of the main gaps in the information on the issue that is needed to develop and refine more effective peacebuilding strategies by national and international interveners.