Amnesty International Accuses M23 and Rwanda of War Crimes via Mineral Trafficking

Key points

• Amnesty International documented 18 summary killings of miners at the Rubaya and Lomera sites, including beatings, shootings, and abductions.
• The report details torture, arbitrary detention in shipping containers and underground cells, and forced recruitment of miners into M23 military training.
• Evidence shows gold and coltan are trafficked from DRC to Rwanda via boats and established smuggling routes, with Rwandans present at mining sites.
• Amnesty International argues these actions may constitute the war crime of pillage and calls on the African Union and international actors to hold perpetrators accountable.
• The organization urges companies to stop buying minerals from Rwanda or its refineries until the government provides proof that illicit trafficking has ceased.

Background

This report highlights the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, where control over mineral-rich areas drives violence. Previous market analyses noted global gold price surges and increased central bank buying, but this briefing focuses on the human rights abuses and illicit supply chains behind the extraction of these critical minerals in conflict zones.

Why it matters

The findings link global demand for critical minerals to severe human rights violations and potential war crimes in the DRC. If verified, the involvement of Rwandan authorities and the trafficking of minerals to Rwanda could trigger international legal accountability and disrupt supply chains for electronics and other industries.

What to watch

Amnesty International is calling on the US, EU, and African Union to enforce stricter oversight and halt mineral purchases from Rwanda. The organization expects pressure on Rwandan officials to end their role in the abuses and to provide concrete evidence that trafficking has stopped.