Governor of South Kivu in Congo stops mining operations in the province

“All companies, businesses and cooperatives are obliged to leave their locations and premises within 72 hours,” he said.

The decision will hit small-scale mining of metals such as gold and tin hard, as they are the largest producers in the region.

“The decision is illegal and falls into the realm of abuse of power,” said Jean Pierre Okenda, a governance analyst in Congo’s mining sector, adding that Congo’s mining minister should urgently call for the ban to be lifted.

In a separate statement, the governor called a meeting with mining operators on July 30 to assess the situation.

“If artisanal mining is banned, the whole province will be penalized. It is this activity that keeps people alive and businesses running,” said Innocent Watuta Ibungu, a mining entrepreneur.

(By Stanis Bujakera, Crispin Kyala, Felix Njini and Bate Felix; editing by Jason Neely and Rod Nickel)