The AFC/M23 coalition has said it is deeply saddened by the behavior of the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, accusing it of spreading false information about a mining accident in Rubaya that claimed the lives of more than 200 people. The group stated that the tragedy was a result of poor management in the mining sector by the Congolese authorities.
This follows an incident that occurred last Wednesday, when a mineral mine collapsed on people who were carrying out mining activities after heavy rainfall. Reports indicate that more than 200 people lost their lives in the accident.
After the tragedy in the area of North Kivu, which is controlled by the AFC/M23 coalition, the Congolese government blamed the group for the deaths.
In a statement released this Sunday, AFC/M23 said it “wishes to express profound indignation at irresponsible, politically motivated, and misleading behavior of the Kinshasa regime. Rather than taking responsibility for its long-standing failures in managing the mining sector, the regime seeks to exploit a tragic accident caused by torrential rains in the artisanal mines of Rubaya for political gain. inappropriate behavior, political irresponsibility, and deliberate spread of false information by the Kinshasa government, which is attempting to politically exploit a serious accident caused by heavy rains and landslides in the Rubaya mines.”
The statement, signed by the AFC/M23 Political Spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, added that it is unfortunate that the Congolese government has chosen “to manipulate public opinion to overshadow their overwhelming record of negligence in miner safety.”
Kanyuka stated that the Congolese government opted to circulate false information about the incident while ignoring similar accidents that occurred before AFC/M23 took control of the area, when it was under government authority, as well as other accidents that continue to occur in areas still controlled by the government.
AFC/M23 cited examples of similar incidents, including the collapse of the Mabaya mine in Haut-Katanga in September 2015, which killed 13 miners.
Among at least 15 accidents listed by AFC/M23 is also the landslide that occurred on May 4, 2023, in the areas of Nyamukubi and Bushushu, which claimed the lives of more than 500 people.
Additionally, on November 15, 2025, at the Kalando copper and cobalt mine in the Lualaba region, a pedestrian bridge collapsed on miners, killing between 30 and 40 people.
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