Reddish Runoff: Chinese-Run Mine Accused of Polluting Communities Near Lubumbashi, DRC

Unchecked Mine Waste Taints Communities Around Lubumbashi

Helene Mvubu carries her sore‑pocked daughter across a failing plot of land and says she is one of thousands affected by toxic discharge from mines near Lubumbashi in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The region is central to a global race for strategic minerals—more than 70% of the world’s cobalt comes from the DRC, a metal vital to electric vehicle batteries and other technologies.

Residents and human rights groups say industrial wastewater from Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM), a subsidiary of Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, has repeatedly contaminated fields, water sources and local markets. Neighbouring communities report seeing red‑coloured water spilling from four drainage outlets beneath the company’s compound and say a large release in early November occurred despite there being no rainfall.

"The food we prepare becomes bitter, our water sources are polluted," Mvubu said, pointing to sugarcane turned yellow and damaged by runoff.

Witnesses say thousands of cubic metres of reddish water flowed from the site over two days. Public outrage prompted authorities to suspend CDM’s operations and form an investigative commission—an uncommon intervention in a country where mining firms often operate with limited oversight.

Accounts from residents and commission members diverge on cause and responsibility. CDM told investigators the release resulted from the accidental rupture of a retention basin. Commission members, including Joseph Kongolo of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), described the company as having opened valves in ways that made pollution less visible during rains. No independent, publicly available toxicity study of the wastewater has been released.

Local vendors and farmers say they have suffered health and economic harm. A market seller known as Martiny displayed what she described as skin damage after exposure to allegedly acidic water; the November flood also ruined stock of dried fish and other goods. To ease tensions, CDM distributed masks and bottled water and repaired a damaged road—measures some community leaders call performative.

Human rights advocates note a longer pattern of concern. Hubert Tshiswaka, director general of the Institute for Human Rights Research (IRDH) and a member of the commission, has campaigned for CDM to meet legal social and financial obligations, including mining royalties. He and others say the company obtained permits to build on a hillside where runoff naturally drains into adjacent neighbourhoods.

Mining Minister Louis Watum Kabamba said the inquiry found that "responsibilities are shared," acknowledging that government authorities should have better enforced regulations and oversight. Residents, civil society groups and some investigators continue to push for an independent environmental assessment, full transparency about wastewater toxicity, remediation measures, and compensation for affected families.

What’s Next

Key outstanding demands include a public toxicity study, independent environmental monitoring, remedial action to stop further contamination, and clarification of legal and financial obligations by CDM and government agencies. The incident highlights broader concerns about environmental governance in DRC’s crucial mineral sector and the local human cost of global demand for cobalt.