President Félix Tshisekedi demands urgent action against illegal militarization of mining sites

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, holder of some of the world’s most critical mineral reserves, has taken a decisive step to clean up its mining sector governance. President Félix Tshisekedi has issued a firm directive to all security forces to immediately withdraw from mining sites across the country that are not under legally authorized operations.

During the 94th Council of Ministers meeting held Friday, July 10, 2026, at the Cité de l’Union africaine, the Head of State emphasized the strategic importance of the mining sector for national development. He highlighted the urgent need to strengthen governance, transparency, and international credibility in this key economic pillar.

Illegal military presence undermines sector reforms

The President’s intervention comes in response to persistent reports of military personnel and National Police officers illegally occupying mining sites without proper authorization. Such practices, he noted, create negative perceptions about natural resource governance while facilitating illicit activities and undermining investor confidence.

“This situation perpetuates negative perceptions about our natural resource governance, weakens control mechanisms, fosters illicit circuits, and compromises government efforts toward responsible, transparent exploitation meeting international standards,” stated President Tshisekedi according to the official meeting report.

Concrete measures and sanctions announced

The Head of State has instructed the Vice Prime Minister for Interior, Security, Decentralization and Customary Affairs; the Vice Prime Minister for National Defense and War Veterans; the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces; and the National Police Commissioner to take immediate action. Their orders include:

• Immediate withdrawal of all unauthorized military and police personnel from mining sites
• Cease all interference by defense and security forces in mining operations
• Full security of mining sites according to legal frameworks
• Dismantling of fraud networks and illegal mining operations protected by uniformed personnel
• Imposition of exemplary sanctions against all irregularly present individuals

Strengthening traceability and compliance

Building on previous instructions from the 87th Council of Ministers meeting, the government has been tasked to reinforce control, certification, traceability, and supply chain monitoring mechanisms. This aims to ensure compliance with both national and international requirements while protecting the rights of legitimate operators and local communities.

A persistent challenge in the mining sector

The issue of unauthorized military presence in mining operations has long plagued the DRC’s mining sector. Since 2022, authorities have attempted to address this problem by ordering the withdrawal of military and police from artisanal mining sites following multiple reports of serious irregularities. At that time, the government justified the measure by pointing to numerous disturbances in artisanal mining zones, where officers without official missions occupied sites while some mine police officers were accused of facilitating illicit activities.

The current directive represents the latest in a series of government efforts to restore order to the mining sector and ensure its operations align with legal and international standards.