CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html>    <html lang="en-US" class="no-js">  <head> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <title>Mine in 'world cobalt capital' displaces locals and monks under questionable circumstances</title> <link href="//www.google-analytics.com" rel="dns-prefetch">  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-12973256-1"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-12973256-1'); </script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/icons/favicon.png" type="image/x-icon" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/icons/ico-s2.jpg"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/icons/ico-l2.jpg"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/icons/ico-s.jpg"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/icons/ico-l.jpg"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com" /> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin /> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Lora:ital,wght@0,400..700;1,400..700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Lora:ital,wght@0,400..700;1,400..700&family=Open+Sans:ital,wght@0,300..800;1,300..800&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" /> <meta name="referrer" content="always" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no" /> <meta name="description" content="Environmental science and conservation news" /> <meta property="fb:pages" content="24436227877" /> <script>var et_site_url='https://news.mongabay.com';var et_post_id='274509';function et_core_page_resource_fallback(a,b){"undefined"===typeof b&&(b=a.sheet.cssRules&&0===a.sheet.cssRules.length);b&&(a.onerror=null,a.onload=null,a.href?a.href=et_site_url+"/?et_core_page_resource="+a.id+et_post_id:a.src&&(a.src=et_site_url+"/?et_core_page_resource="+a.id+et_post_id))} </script><meta name='robots' content='index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1' />  <link rel="canonical" href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/" /> <meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by" /> <meta name="twitter:data1" content="Latoya Abulu" /> <meta name="twitter:label2" content="Est. reading time" /> <meta name="twitter:data2" content="11 minutes" /> <script type="application/ld+json" class="yoast-schema-graph">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/","name":"Mine in 'world cobalt capital' displaces locals and monks under questionable circumstances","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125206/Adelard.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-23T16:42:17+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-15T00:01:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/#/schema/person/65ced2fe4bffa5c2e8b423e75579ec19"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/#primaryimage","url":"https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125206/Adelard.jpg","contentUrl":"https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125206/Adelard.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Adélard Makonga at the Gécamines mining site. Image by Éric Cibamba."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://news.mongabay.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mine in ‘world cobalt capital’ displaces locals and monks under questionable circumstances"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/#website","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/","name":"Conservation news","description":"Environmental science and conservation news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://news.mongabay.com/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/#/schema/person/65ced2fe4bffa5c2e8b423e75579ec19","name":"Latoya Abulu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https://news.mongabay.com/#/schema/person/image/","url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/98da5a467f5ad093d6617a400c8530b5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/98da5a467f5ad093d6617a400c8530b5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Latoya Abulu"},"description":"Latoya Abulu is an editor at Mongabay covering Indigenous news, nature-based solutions to climate change and stories about high conservation value ecosystems. You can reach her on Twitter @LatoyaAbulu","sameAs":["https://muckrack.com/latoyaabulu","https://x.com/LatoyaAbulu"],"url":"https://news.mongabay.com/author/latoyaabulu/"}]}</script>  <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//js.hs-scripts.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//www.googletagmanager.com' /> <script id="monga-ready"> window.advanced_ads_ready=function(e,a){a=a||"complete";var d=function(e){return"interactive"===a?"loading"!==e:"complete"===e};d(document.readyState)?e():document.addEventListener("readystatechange",(function(a){d(a.target.readyState)&&e()}),{once:"interactive"===a})},window.advanced_ads_ready_queue=window.advanced_ads_ready_queue||[]; </script> <link rel='stylesheet' id='dropshadowboxes_css-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/drop-shadow-boxes/css/dropshadowboxes.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-block-library-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/block-library/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-components-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/components/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-preferences-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/preferences/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-block-editor-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/block-editor/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-reusable-blocks-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/reusable-blocks/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-patterns-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/patterns/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-editor-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/css/dist/editor/style.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='drop_shadow_block-style-css-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/drop-shadow-boxes/block/blocks.style.build.css' media='all' /> <style id='classic-theme-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> /*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} </style> <style id='global-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> :root{--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--square: 1;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--4-3: 4/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-4: 3/4;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-2: 3/2;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--2-3: 2/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--16-9: 16/9;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--9-16: 9/16;--wp--preset--color--black: #000000;--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray: #abb8c3;--wp--preset--color--white: #ffffff;--wp--preset--color--pale-pink: #f78da7;--wp--preset--color--vivid-red: #cf2e2e;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange: #ff6900;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber: #fcb900;--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan: #7bdcb5;--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan: #00d084;--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue: #8ed1fc;--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue: #0693e3;--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple: #9b51e0;--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(6,147,227,1) 0%,rgb(155,81,224) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(122,220,180) 0%,rgb(0,208,130) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(252,185,0,1) 0%,rgba(255,105,0,1) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(255,105,0,1) 0%,rgb(207,46,46) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(238,238,238) 0%,rgb(169,184,195) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(74,234,220) 0%,rgb(151,120,209) 20%,rgb(207,42,186) 40%,rgb(238,44,130) 60%,rgb(251,105,98) 80%,rgb(254,248,76) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,206,236) 0%,rgb(152,150,240) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(254,205,165) 0%,rgb(254,45,45) 50%,rgb(107,0,62) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,203,112) 0%,rgb(199,81,192) 50%,rgb(65,88,208) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 50%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 0%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--midnight: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(2,3,129) 0%,rgb(40,116,252) 100%);--wp--preset--font-size--small: 13px;--wp--preset--font-size--medium: 20px;--wp--preset--font-size--large: 36px;--wp--preset--font-size--x-large: 42px;--wp--preset--spacing--20: 0.44rem;--wp--preset--spacing--30: 0.67rem;--wp--preset--spacing--40: 1rem;--wp--preset--spacing--50: 1.5rem;--wp--preset--spacing--60: 2.25rem;--wp--preset--spacing--70: 3.38rem;--wp--preset--spacing--80: 5.06rem;--wp--preset--shadow--natural: 6px 6px 9px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--deep: 12px 12px 50px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);--wp--preset--shadow--sharp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--outlined: 6px 6px 0px -3px rgba(255, 255, 255, 1), 6px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);--wp--preset--shadow--crisp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);}:where(.is-layout-flex){gap: 0.5em;}:where(.is-layout-grid){gap: 0.5em;}body .is-layout-flex{display: flex;}.is-layout-flex{flex-wrap: wrap;align-items: center;}.is-layout-flex > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}body .is-layout-grid{display: grid;}.is-layout-grid > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;}.has-black-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red) !important;}.has-very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-cool-to-warm-spectrum-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum) !important;}.has-blush-light-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple) !important;}.has-blush-bordeaux-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux) !important;}.has-luminous-dusk-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk) !important;}.has-pale-ocean-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean) !important;}.has-electric-grass-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass) !important;}.has-midnight-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--midnight) !important;}.has-small-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--small) !important;}.has-medium-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--medium) !important;}.has-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--large) !important;}.has-x-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--x-large) !important;} :where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;} :where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;} :root :where(.wp-block-pullquote){font-size: 1.5em;line-height: 1.6;} </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='pwp-offline-style-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/progressive-wp/assets/styles/ui-offline.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='framework-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/css/style.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='icon-fonts-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/css/fontello.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='addtohomescreen-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/css/addtohomescreen.min.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='dialog-polyfill-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/css/dialog-polyfill.css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='tablepress-default-css' href='https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/tablepress-combined.min.css' media='all' /> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js" id="jquery-core-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js" id="jquery-migrate-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="advanced-ads-advanced-js-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var advads_options = {"blog_id":"20","privacy":{"enabled":false,"state":"not_needed"}}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/advanced-ads/public/assets/js/advanced.min.js" id="advanced-ads-advanced-js-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/advanced-ads-pro/modules/click-fraud-protection/assets/js/cfp.min.js" id="advanced-ads-pro/cfp-js"></script> <link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-json/" /><link rel="alternate" title="JSON" type="application/json" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/274509" /><link rel="alternate" title="oEmbed (JSON)" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F" /> <link rel="alternate" title="oEmbed (XML)" type="text/xml+oembed" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F&format=xml" /> <style type="text/css"> .feedzy-rss-link-icon:after { content: url("https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/feedzy-rss-feeds/img/external-link.png"); margin-left: 3px; } </style> <meta name="generator" content="Site Kit by Google 1.140.0" /> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-ZHFVHJ3CMZ"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-ZHFVHJ3CMZ'); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(c,l,a,r,i,t,y){ c[a]=c[a]||function(){(c[a].q=c[a].q||[]).push(arguments)}; t=l.createElement(r);t.async=1;t.src="https://www.clarity.ms/tag/"+i; y=l.getElementsByTagName(r)[0];y.parentNode.insertBefore(t,y); })(window, document, "clarity", "script", "hghawiq8qp"); </script>  <script type="text/javascript" class="hsq-set-content-id" data-content-id="blog-post"> var _hsq = _hsq || []; _hsq.push(["setContentType", "blog-post"]); </script>  <script type='text/javascript'>var PwpJsVars = {"AjaxURL":"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php","homeurl":"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/","installprompt":{"mode":"normal","pageloads":"2","onclick":""}};</script> <script type="text/javascript" id="serviceworker-unregister"> if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) { navigator.serviceWorker.getRegistrations().then(function (registrations) { registrations.forEach(function (registration) { if (registration.active.scriptURL === window.location.origin + '/pwp-serviceworker.js') { registration.unregister(); } }); }); } </script> <script type="text/javascript" id="serviceworker"> if (navigator.serviceWorker) { window.addEventListener('load', function () { navigator.serviceWorker.register( "https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/?wp_service_worker=1", {"scope": "\/"} ); }); } </script> <link rel="manifest" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-json/app/v1/pwp-manifest"><meta name="theme-color" content="#669900"> <meta name="onesignal" content="wordpress-plugin"/> <script src="https://cdn.onesignal.com/sdks/OneSignalSDK.js" async></script> <script> window.OneSignal = window.OneSignal || []; OneSignal.push(function () { OneSignal.SERVICE_WORKER_UPDATER_PATH = "https://news.mongabay.com/?wp_service_worker=1"; OneSignal.SERVICE_WORKER_PATH = "https://news.mongabay.com/?wp_service_worker=1"; OneSignal.SERVICE_WORKER_PARAM = { scope: '/' }; OneSignal.setDefaultNotificationUrl("https://news.mongabay.com"); var oneSignal_options = {}; window._oneSignalInitOptions = oneSignal_options; oneSignal_options['wordpress'] = true; oneSignal_options['appId'] = '3a782913-6b68-46c5-999b-565ead3bc689'; oneSignal_options['autoRegister'] = false; oneSignal_options['welcomeNotification'] = { }; oneSignal_options['welcomeNotification']['title'] = ""; oneSignal_options['welcomeNotification']['message'] = ""; oneSignal_options['path'] = "sdk_files/"; oneSignal_options['safari_web_id'] = "web.onesignal.auto.5e2915a8-1095-4900-b2af-7b25bf2970dd"; oneSignal_options['promptOptions'] = { }; oneSignal_options['notifyButton'] = { }; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['enable'] = true; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['position'] = 'bottom-right'; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['theme'] = 'inverse'; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['size'] = 'medium'; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['prenotify'] = true; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['showCredit'] = true; oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['text'] = {}; OneSignal.init(window._oneSignalInitOptions); }); function documentInitOneSignal() { var oneSignal_elements = document.getElementsByClassName("OneSignal-prompt"); var oneSignalLinkClickHandler = function(event) { OneSignal.push(['registerForPushNotifications']); event.preventDefault(); }; for (var i = 0; i < oneSignal_elements.length; i++) { oneSignal_elements[i].addEventListener('click', oneSignalLinkClickHandler, false); } } if (document.readyState === 'complete') { documentInitOneSignal(); } else { window.addEventListener("load", function (event) { documentInitOneSignal(); }); } </script> <style type="text/css"> .wpsdc-drop-cap { float : left; padding : 0.25em 0.05em 0.25em 0; font-size : 5em; line-height : 0.4em;} </style><link rel="preload" href="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/bloom/core/admin/fonts/modules.ttf" as="font" crossorigin="anonymous"><script type="text/javascript"> ;var advadsCfpQueue = [], advadsCfpExpHours = 3; var advadsCfpClickLimit = 3; ; var advadsCfpPath = ''; var advadsCfpDomain = 'news.mongabay.com'; var advadsCfpAd = function( adID ){ if ( 'undefined' == typeof advadsProCfp ) { advadsCfpQueue.push( adID ) } else { advadsProCfp.addElement( adID ) } }; </script><meta name="description" content="This report was produced with the support of the Rainforest Investigations Network in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. LUBUMBASHI — In Kolwezi, the self-proclaimed cobalt capital of the world, 400 households and a monastery are preparing to leave. Recently in 2022, one area, known as the Gécamines neighborhood, saw 40% of the land become a […]" /> <meta name="Tags" content="Mongabay, Mongabay Environmental News, Environmental News, Conservation News" /> <meta property="keywords" content="Mongabay, Mongabay Environmental News, Environmental News, Conservation News" /> <meta name="robots" content="index, follow" /> <link rel="publisher" href="https://plus.google.com/+Mongabay/" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/mongabay/"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Mine in ‘world cobalt capital’ displaces locals and monks under questionable circumstances"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Mongabay Environmental News"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125206/Adelard-768x512.jpg"/> <meta property="og:description" content="This report was produced with the support of the Rainforest Investigations Network in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. LUBUMBASHI — In Kolwezi, the self-proclaimed cobalt capital of the world, 400 households and a monastery are preparing to leave. Recently in 2022, one area, known as the Gécamines neighborhood, saw 40% of the land become a […]"/> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2023-10-23T16:42:17+00:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2024-11-15T00:01:31+00:00" /> <meta property="article:section" content="Environmental news" /> <meta property="article:tag" content="Mongabay, Mongabay Environmental News, Environmental News, Conservation News" /> <meta property="fb:admins" content="139042016164873" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1559969950974398"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@mongabay"/><meta name="twitter:title" content="Mine in ‘world cobalt capital’ displaces locals and monks under questionable circumstances"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="This report was produced with the support of the Rainforest Investigations Network in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. LUBUMBASHI — In Kolwezi, the self-proclaimed cobalt capital of the world, 400 households and a monastery are preparing to leave. Recently in 2022, one area, known as the Gécamines neighborhood, saw 40% of the land become a […]"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125206/Adelard-768x512.jpg"/> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@Mongabay"/>  <link rel="amphtml" href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/amp/"><link rel="icon" href="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32" /> <link rel="icon" href="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-192x192.png" sizes="192x192" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-180x180.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-270x270.png" />  <style> </style>  </head> <body class="post-template-default single single-post postid-274509 single-format-standard et_bloom mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances aa-prefix-monga-"> <script async data-id="101413169" src="//static.getclicky.com/js"></script> <noscript><p><img alt="Clicky" width="1" height="1" src="//in.getclicky.com/101413169ns.gif" /></p></noscript> <header class="header sticky" role="banner"> <div class="container in-row space-between align-center ph--40 pv--20"> <div class="branding"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com" class="theme-light" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/logo/mongabay_logo_news_black.svg" /></a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com" class="theme-dark" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/logo/mongabay_logo_news_white.svg" /></a> </div> <div class="menu-container align-center"> <ul class="main-menu nav-desktop"> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/features" class="">Features</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/videos" class="">Videos</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/podcasts" class="">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/specials" class="">Specials</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/articles" class="">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/shorts" class="">Shorts</a></li> </ul> <a class="theme--button primary simple md-hide" href="https://news.mongabay.com/donate" data-wpel-link="internal">Donate</a> <a id="theme-switch" class="icon icon-cog"></a> <a id="site-search" href="https://news.mongabay.com/?s=" data-wpel-link="internal"><span class="icon icon-search"></span></a> <a id="secondary-menu"><span class="icon icon-menu"></span></a> </div> <div id="off-canvas"> <div class="container in-column ph--40 pv--20 gap--20 full-height" style="justify-content: space-between"> <div class="global-nav gap--20"> <span class="icon icon-globe md-hide"></span> <ul class="global-languages"> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com" class="active" data-wpel-link="internal">English</a></li> <li><a href="https://es.mongabay.com" class="">Español (Spanish)</a></li> <li><a href="https://fr.mongabay.com" class="">Français (French)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.mongabay.co.id" class="">Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)</a></li> <li><a href="https://brasil.mongabay.com" class="">Brasil (Portuguese)</a></li> <li><a href="https://india.mongabay.com" class="">India (English)</a></li> <li><a href="https://hindi.mongabay.com" class="">हिंदी (Hindi)</a></li> </ul> <span class="icon icon-cancel"></span> </div> <ul class="main-menu nav-desktop off-canvas"> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/videos" data-wpel-link="internal">Videos</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/podcasts" data-wpel-link="internal">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/articles" data-wpel-link="internal">Articles</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/shorts" data-wpel-link="internal">Short News</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/features" data-wpel-link="internal">Feature Stories</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/list/2024" data-wpel-link="internal">The Latest</a></li> <li><a href=" https://news.mongabay.com/?s=&formats=post+custom_story+videos+podcasts+specials+short_article" data-wpel-link="internal">Explore All</a></li> </ul> <div class="footer gap--20 grid--5"> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://www.mongabay.com/about/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">About </a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/team" data-wpel-link="internal">Team</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/contact" data-wpel-link="internal">Contact</a></li> </ul> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/donate" data-wpel-link="internal">Donate</a></li> <li><a href="https://mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=940652e1f4" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Subscribe page</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/submissions/" data-wpel-link="internal">Submissions</a></li> </ul> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://www.mongabay.com/privacy" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.mongabay.com/terms" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Terms of Use</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.mongabay.com/advertising" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Advertising</a></li> </ul> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://www.wildmadagascar.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Wild Madagascar</a></li> <li><a href="https://selvastropicales.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Selva tropicales</a></li> <li><a href="" data-wpel-link="internal">Impact</a></li> </ul> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://kids.mongabay.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">For Kids</a></li> <li><a href="https://mongabay.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Mongabay.org</a></li> <li><a href="https://tropicalforestnetwork.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Tropical Forest Network</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script> const isDarkMode = window.localStorage.getItem("mongabay-theme"); if (isDarkMode) { document.querySelector("body").classList.add("dark-mode"); } function brandingDisplay() { if (document.querySelector("body").classList.contains("dark-mode")) { window.localStorage.setItem("mongabay-theme", "dark-mode"); document.querySelector(".branding .theme-light").style.display = "none"; document.querySelector(".branding .theme-dark").style.display = "block"; } else { window.localStorage.removeItem("mongabay-theme"); document.querySelector(".branding .theme-light").style.display = "block"; document.querySelector(".branding .theme-dark").style.display = "none"; } } brandingDisplay(); document.getElementById("theme-switch").addEventListener("click", (e) => { e.preventDefault; e.stopPropagation; document.querySelector("body").classList.toggle("dark-mode"); brandingDisplay(); }); document.getElementById("secondary-menu").addEventListener("click", (e) => { e.preventDefault; e.stopPropagation; document.getElementById("off-canvas").classList.add("active"); document.querySelector("body").classList.add("no-scroll"); }); document.querySelector(".icon-cancel").addEventListener("click", (e) => { e.preventDefault; e.stopPropagation; document.getElementById("off-canvas").classList.remove("active"); document.querySelector("body").classList.remove("no-scroll"); }); </script> </header><main role="main"> <div class="container in-column ph--40"> <div class="single"> <div class="container in-column gap--16 article-headline"> <h1>Mine in ‘world cobalt capital’ displaces locals and monks under questionable circumstances</h1> <div class="container in-column full-width single-article-meta"> <div class="about-author gap--16"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/06162232/Didier-M-336x337-1.png" alt="cover image" style="max-width:48px;"> </div> <div class="extra-info"> <span class="bylines"><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/by/didier-makal/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Didier Makal</a>, <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/by/eric-cibamba/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Eric Cibamba</a></span> <div class="post-meta"> <span class="date">23 Oct 2023</span> <span class="taxonomy"><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/location/africa" data-wpel-link="internal">Africa</a></span> <span class="taxonomy"><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/series/cobalt-capital" data-wpel-link="internal">Cobalt Capital</a></span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container social gap--4"> <a href="#spotim-specific" class="theme--button simple secondary">Comments</a> <a id="share-article" class="theme--button simple secondary" href="#" title="Share Mine%20in%20‘world%20cobalt%20capital’%20displaces%20locals%20and%20monks%20under%20questionable%20circumstances">Share article</a> <dialog id="share-dialog"> <a class="close icon icon-cancel"></a> <div class="container ph--40 pv--40 gap--40 in-column share-dialog-content"> <div class="container text-center in-column"> <h1>Share this article</h1> <p>If you liked this story, share it with other people.</p> </div> <div class="grid--4 repeat gap--40 share-dialog-links"> <a class="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external"><span class="icon-share"><svg width="12" height="22" viewBox="0 0 12 22" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M2.88237 4.28422C2.88237 4.14786 2.90131 3.85338 2.93918 3.40266C2.9799 2.951 3.15034 2.4785 3.45618 1.98233C3.75919 1.48805 4.25062 1.04396 4.93428 0.651006C5.61509 0.259941 6.59891 0.0629883 7.88289 0.0629883H11.5V4.00488H8.85155C8.58926 4.00488 8.34497 4.10336 8.12434 4.29747C7.90561 4.49158 7.79293 4.67623 7.79293 4.84761V7.30006H11.4991C11.4602 7.78013 11.4176 8.24694 11.3684 8.69766L11.2216 9.88885C11.1629 10.2913 11.1033 10.6643 11.0445 11.0081H7.76642V21.9371H2.88237V11.0071H0.5V7.30006H2.88237V4.28422Z" fill="inherit"/> </svg> </span>Facebook</a><a class="linkedin" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F&title=Mine%20in%20‘world%20cobalt%20capital’%20displaces%20locals%20and%20monks%20under%20questionable%20circumstances" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external"><span class="icon-share"><svg width="22" height="22" viewBox="0 0 22 22" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M0.5 3.02735C0.5 1.63156 1.63156 0.5 3.02735 0.5C4.42314 0.5 5.55471 1.63156 5.55471 3.02735C5.55471 4.42314 4.42314 5.55471 3.02735 5.55471C1.63156 5.55471 0.5 4.42314 0.5 3.02735Z" fill="inherit"/> <path d="M12.2177 9.46062C12.7979 8.36352 14.1994 7.20898 16.3074 7.20898C20.7016 7.20898 21.5 10.0695 21.5 13.826V21.5H17.1805V14.6991C17.1805 13.0793 17.1518 11.023 14.9289 11.023C12.6715 11.023 12.3096 12.7864 12.3096 14.6072V21.5H7.99016V7.53064H12.1258V9.46062H12.2177Z" fill="inherit"/> <path d="M0.913567 21.5V7.53064H5.279V21.5H0.913567Z" fill="inherit"/> </svg> </span>Linkedin</a><a class="threads" href="https://threads.net/intent/post?text=Mine%20in%20‘world%20cobalt%20capital’%20displaces%20locals%20and%20monks%20under%20questionable%20circumstances https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external"><span class="icon-share"><svg width="23" height="28" viewBox="0 0 23 28" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M11.6169 27.1708C8.9536 27.1708 7.72896 26.8426 5.69446 25.7472C3.93173 24.7982 2.41201 23.528 1.59852 21.7049C-1.31631 15.1744 -0.4308 5.40737 5.79835 2.16144C8.96137 0.513478 13.9788 0.332386 17.1924 1.9661C20.2748 3.53323 21.7663 5.97811 23 9.11496L20.4818 9.83441C19.3189 5.60944 16.5167 3.26872 11.9684 3.26872C10.171 3.26872 8.53986 3.44929 7.16911 4.12884C3.89028 5.75349 2.54673 9.56471 2.4146 13.4252C2.31848 16.2304 2.77186 19.0621 4.0237 21.0994C5.4556 23.4295 8.43105 24.9031 11.2202 24.9031C13.8327 24.9031 15.9348 24.449 17.5561 22.9282C19.7639 20.8569 20.2241 17.554 17.4097 15.5402C16.5429 22.9386 6.51054 22.5166 6.51054 16.6361C6.51054 15.4151 6.98542 14.3495 7.93493 13.4397C9.82072 11.6326 12.6581 12.1666 15.0245 12.1308C14.775 11.014 13.8255 9.3958 12.0029 9.3958C10.5985 9.3958 9.38833 9.74891 8.73779 10.8365L6.77739 9.56471C7.60772 8.00561 9.28185 6.98175 11.8503 6.98175C14.4187 6.98175 16.9331 8.66236 17.3499 11.8495L17.4787 12.8337C18.9305 13.4195 19.9756 14.5122 20.7013 15.6133C22.7415 18.7092 21.6166 22.6805 18.703 25.1495C17.1134 26.4967 14.7509 27.1705 11.6171 27.1705L11.6169 27.1708ZM8.85127 16.5864C8.85127 17.7978 10.1365 18.7038 11.3809 18.7038C12.769 18.7038 13.7234 18.3123 14.2439 17.5294C14.7644 16.7465 15.0247 15.8035 15.0247 14.7008C13.5988 14.3384 11.1179 14.0785 9.8031 14.9488C9.18392 15.3586 8.85153 15.8807 8.85153 16.5864H8.85127Z" fill="inherit"/> </svg> </span>Threads</a><a class="whatsapp" href="whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F&title=Mine%20in%20‘world%20cobalt%20capital’%20displaces%20locals%20and%20monks%20under%20questionable%20circumstances" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="internal"><span class="icon-share"><svg width="25" height="26" viewBox="0 0 25 26" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M25 12.6771C25 19.4018 19.5053 24.8553 12.7279 24.8553C10.5749 24.8553 8.55245 24.3056 6.79569 23.3391L0 25.4989L2.21484 18.9666C1.09711 17.132 0.453505 14.979 0.453505 12.6794C0.453505 5.95243 5.94823 0.501221 12.7256 0.501221C19.503 0.501221 24.9977 5.95472 24.9977 12.6794L25 12.6771ZM12.7279 2.43663C7.03619 2.43663 2.40953 7.02893 2.40953 12.6748C2.40953 14.9149 3.13788 16.99 4.37471 18.678L3.0852 22.4801L7.04993 21.2204C8.67842 22.29 10.6299 22.913 12.7279 22.913C18.4173 22.913 23.0463 18.3207 23.0463 12.6748C23.0463 7.02893 18.4173 2.43663 12.7279 2.43663ZM18.9258 15.4806C18.8502 15.3569 18.6486 15.2813 18.3486 15.1325C18.0486 14.9836 16.5666 14.2598 16.2918 14.1613C16.0169 14.0628 15.8154 14.0124 15.6161 14.3102C15.4146 14.6079 14.8397 15.2813 14.6633 15.4806C14.4892 15.6799 14.3129 15.7051 14.0128 15.5562C13.7105 15.4073 12.7416 15.0912 11.5941 14.0743C10.7009 13.2818 10.0962 12.3061 9.91983 12.006C9.74576 11.7083 9.90151 11.5457 10.0504 11.3968C10.1855 11.2616 10.3527 11.0486 10.5016 10.8746C10.6528 10.7005 10.7032 10.5745 10.8016 10.3752C10.9024 10.176 10.852 10.0019 10.7765 9.85303C10.7009 9.70415 10.1008 8.23599 9.84883 7.6359C9.59917 7.04039 9.34952 7.061 9.17315 7.061C8.99679 7.061 8.67384 7.11368 8.67384 7.11368C8.67384 7.11368 8.07146 7.18926 7.79432 7.48702C7.51947 7.78477 6.74072 8.50855 6.74072 9.97671C6.74072 11.4449 7.81722 12.8649 7.96839 13.0642C8.11956 13.2635 10.0481 16.3762 13.1081 17.5718C16.1658 18.7674 16.1658 18.3688 16.7178 18.3184C17.2675 18.2703 18.4975 17.597 18.7494 16.9007C19.0014 16.2044 19.0014 15.6066 18.9258 15.4829V15.4806Z" fill="inherit"/> </svg> </span>Whatsapp</a><a class="reddit" href="https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2023%2F10%2Fmine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances%2F&title=Mine%20in%20‘world%20cobalt%20capital’%20displaces%20locals%20and%20monks%20under%20questionable%20circumstances" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external"><span class="icon-share"><svg width="28" height="26" viewBox="0 0 28 26" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M27.9997 13.1861C28.0039 13.4741 27.9681 13.7615 27.8925 14.0395C27.8168 14.3175 27.7022 14.5839 27.5519 14.8299C27.4022 15.0758 27.2182 15.2997 27.0059 15.4946C26.7936 15.6896 26.5551 15.8535 26.297 15.9818C26.3028 16.0585 26.3076 16.1357 26.3102 16.213C26.3165 16.3671 26.3165 16.5213 26.3102 16.6754C26.3076 16.7527 26.3028 16.8299 26.297 16.9066C26.297 21.6151 20.8108 25.4407 14.0424 25.4407C7.27402 25.4407 1.78783 21.6151 1.78783 16.9066C1.78205 16.8299 1.77732 16.7527 1.77469 16.6754C1.76836 16.5213 1.76836 16.3671 1.77469 16.213C1.77732 16.1357 1.78205 16.0585 1.78783 15.9818C1.38359 15.796 1.02456 15.5245 0.735566 15.1863C0.446577 14.848 0.234536 14.451 0.114117 14.0227C-0.00610102 13.5942 -0.0317092 13.1447 0.0390675 12.7054C0.109844 12.266 0.275313 11.8473 0.524005 11.4782C0.77248 11.1093 1.09826 10.7987 1.47875 10.5683C1.85923 10.3378 2.28531 10.1928 2.72742 10.1435C3.16958 10.0939 3.61723 10.1411 4.03935 10.2817C4.46147 10.4224 4.84796 10.6531 5.17203 10.958C5.77364 10.5502 6.40395 10.1865 7.05804 9.8697C7.71229 9.55335 8.3886 9.28429 9.08173 9.06569C9.77487 8.84708 10.4832 8.67945 11.2005 8.56331C11.9178 8.44718 12.643 8.38359 13.3698 8.37256L14.9253 1.07865C14.9426 0.994042 14.9768 0.914167 15.0256 0.842699C15.074 0.771757 15.1365 0.710799 15.2085 0.66403C15.281 0.617261 15.362 0.585205 15.4471 0.56944C15.5317 0.554201 15.6189 0.555777 15.703 0.574169L20.8529 1.60415C21.3726 0.711325 22.4635 0.328762 23.4268 0.700815C24.39 1.07287 24.9407 2.0897 24.7253 3.09971C24.5103 4.10972 23.5928 4.81389 22.5618 4.76081C21.5303 4.70773 20.69 3.91318 20.5796 2.88636L16.0814 1.94046L14.7151 8.49867C15.4329 8.51391 16.1492 8.58118 16.8575 8.69942C18.2761 8.93587 19.6531 9.37587 20.9459 10.0058C21.5916 10.32 22.2138 10.6804 22.8077 11.0841C23.2348 10.6741 23.7713 10.3965 24.3527 10.2848C24.9341 10.1728 25.5354 10.2313 26.0842 10.4535C26.6331 10.6756 27.1059 11.0517 27.4458 11.5366C27.7857 12.0214 27.9781 12.5943 27.9997 13.1861ZM7.1395 16.0926C7.24565 16.3475 7.40014 16.5793 7.59563 16.7742C7.79059 16.9697 8.02233 17.1242 8.2772 17.2303C8.5323 17.3358 8.80567 17.3901 9.08173 17.3901C9.93199 17.3901 10.6982 16.8777 11.024 16.0926C11.3493 15.307 11.169 14.4032 10.5678 13.802C9.96667 13.2008 9.06282 13.0206 8.2772 13.3459C7.4921 13.6717 6.97974 14.4378 6.97974 15.2881C6.97974 15.564 7.03387 15.8373 7.1395 16.0926ZM19.1786 21.1385C19.2864 21.0334 19.3479 20.8899 19.35 20.7396C19.3521 20.5888 19.2937 20.4438 19.1886 20.336C19.0835 20.2283 18.9401 20.1668 18.7898 20.1647C18.639 20.1626 18.4939 20.221 18.3725 20.3119C18.0565 20.5386 17.7217 20.7381 17.372 20.9083C17.0222 21.0786 16.6587 21.2191 16.2853 21.3282C15.9122 21.437 15.5301 21.5142 15.1439 21.5589C14.7571 21.6035 14.3677 21.6151 13.9794 21.5941C13.5916 21.6114 13.2027 21.5957 12.8175 21.5473C12.4322 21.4994 12.0518 21.4186 11.6803 21.3056C11.3083 21.1931 10.9473 21.0491 10.5999 20.8757C10.2525 20.7023 9.92043 20.4995 9.60723 20.2698C9.49845 20.1805 9.36025 20.1348 9.21942 20.1416C9.07858 20.1484 8.94563 20.2078 8.84579 20.3071C8.74647 20.407 8.68709 20.5399 8.68025 20.6808C8.67342 20.8216 8.71914 20.9598 8.80848 21.0686C9.1779 21.3471 9.57045 21.593 9.98191 21.8043C10.3934 22.0155 10.8227 22.1905 11.2641 22.3282C11.7055 22.4659 12.158 22.5652 12.6168 22.6256C13.0755 22.6855 13.5385 22.706 14.0004 22.6871C14.4623 22.706 14.9253 22.6855 15.384 22.6256C16.3029 22.5048 17.1941 22.2269 18.0189 21.8043C18.4303 21.593 18.8229 21.3471 19.1923 21.0686L19.1786 21.1385ZM18.7929 17.5583C19.0778 17.5614 19.3605 17.5062 19.6237 17.3969C19.887 17.2871 20.1251 17.1252 20.3237 16.9208C20.5223 16.7164 20.6768 16.4736 20.7788 16.2072C20.8808 15.9411 20.9275 15.657 20.9159 15.3722C20.9159 14.5219 20.4036 13.7558 19.6185 13.4299C18.8329 13.1047 17.929 13.2849 17.3278 13.8861C16.7267 14.4872 16.5464 15.3911 16.8717 16.1767C17.1975 16.9618 17.9637 17.4742 18.814 17.4742L18.7929 17.5583Z" fill="inherit"/> </svg> </span>Reddit</a><a class="email" href="javascript:emailArticle()" data-wpel-link="internal"><span class="icon-share"><svg width="22" height="14" viewBox="0 0 22 14" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M11.0016 13.9981C7.92029 13.9981 4.83895 13.9981 1.75762 13.9981C0.933378 13.9981 0.378906 13.4408 0.378906 12.6119C0.378906 9.82371 0.378906 7.03548 0.378906 4.24632C0.378906 3.53596 0.428379 3.50422 1.04633 3.83466C3.93537 5.3786 6.82815 6.916 9.71159 8.47113C10.5797 8.9388 11.4142 8.94066 12.2814 8.473C15.1555 6.92533 18.038 5.3926 20.9168 3.85427C21.0101 3.80479 21.1007 3.75065 21.1968 3.70865C21.5011 3.5733 21.6169 3.63677 21.6169 3.96068C21.6197 6.9132 21.6225 9.86572 21.615 12.8182C21.6131 13.4315 20.9709 13.9981 20.3156 13.9991C17.211 14.0009 14.1063 13.9991 11.0016 13.9991V13.9981Z" fill="inherit"/> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M10.9974 0.00294517C14.2785 0.00294517 17.5587 0.00294517 20.8398 0.00387862C21.1039 0.00387862 21.4213 -0.0521287 21.5436 0.261512C21.6659 0.576086 21.4558 0.817851 21.2598 1.04188C21.1263 1.19403 20.9564 1.29671 20.7809 1.39286C17.9292 2.95826 15.0785 4.52553 12.2258 6.09C11.4128 6.53526 10.5923 6.53806 9.78018 6.0928C6.92567 4.52927 4.07583 2.96106 1.2232 1.39753C0.906755 1.2239 0.636053 1.00734 0.484834 0.673166C0.317745 0.304451 0.469898 0.0505514 0.873151 0.0085459C0.989833 -0.00265556 1.10745 0.00294517 1.22506 0.00294517C4.48282 0.00294517 7.73965 0.00294517 10.9974 0.00294517Z" fill="inherit"/> </svg> </span>Email</a> </div> <div class="container full-width in-column gap--8 share-dialog-link"> <label for="share-link">Page link</label> <input id="copy-url" type="text" value="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/mine-in-world-cobalt-capital-displaces-locals-and-monks-under-questionable-circumstances/" id="share-link" readonly> <span class="icon-share-copy"><svg width="21" height="22" viewBox="0 0 21 22" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M17.5 7.5H8.75C7.7835 7.5 7 8.2835 7 9.25V18C7 18.9665 7.7835 19.75 8.75 19.75H17.5C18.4665 19.75 19.25 18.9665 19.25 18V9.25C19.25 8.2835 18.4665 7.5 17.5 7.5Z" stroke="inherit" stroke-width="1.75" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/> <path d="M3.5 14.5C2.5375 14.5 1.75 13.7125 1.75 12.75V4C1.75 3.0375 2.5375 2.25 3.5 2.25H12.25C13.2125 2.25 14 3.0375 14 4" stroke="inherit" stroke-width="1.75" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/> </svg> </span> </div> </div> <script> function openShareDialog(e) { e.preventDefault(); e.stopPropagation(); const dialog = document.getElementById("share-dialog"); dialog.showModal(); document.querySelector("body").classList.add("no-scroll"); } function closeShareDialog(e) { e.preventDefault(); e.stopPropagation(); const dialog = document.getElementById("share-dialog"); dialog.close(); document.querySelector("body").classList.remove("no-scroll"); } function emailArticle(){ window.alert("Email this article?"); window.location.href = "mailto:?subject=" + encodeURIComponent(document.title) + "&body=" + encodeURIComponent(window.location.href); } function copyURL() { const copyText = document.getElementById("copy-url"); copyText.select(); copyText.setSelectionRange(0, 99999); navigator.clipboard.writeText(copyText.value); } document.getElementById("share-article").addEventListener("click", openShareDialog); document.querySelector("#share-dialog .close").addEventListener("click", closeShareDialog); document.querySelector(".email").addEventListener("click", emailArticle); document.querySelector(".icon-share-copy").addEventListener("click", copyURL); </script> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article-cover-image"> <div style="background: url('https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125206/Adelard-1920x890.jpg'); background-size: cover; background-position: center; width: 100%;"></div> </div> <div class="inner"> <article id="post-274509" class="post-274509 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-africa location-africa location-central-africa location-democratic-republic-of-congo location-sub-saharan-africa serial-cobalt-capital topic-business topic-clean-energy topic-corruption topic-energy topic-environment topic-finance topic-fossil-fuels topic-governance topic-government topic-indigenous-rights topic-industry topic-land-conflict topic-land-grabbing topic-land-rights topic-law topic-mining topic-pollution topic-social-justice byline-didier-makal byline-eric-cibamba"> <div class="bulletpoints-wrapper"><div class="bulletpoints"><ul><li><em>Local residents living in the DRC’s ‘cobalt capital of the world’ are being forced to relocate in order to make way for a mine owned by Chinese company COMMUS (Compagnie miniere de Musonie).</em></li><li><em>The relocation process is being done under questionable circumstances, including providing compensation payments under the table which don’t always meet amounts needed to buy a decent home, contradictory statements, lack of consultation, and few traces of written documentation to fact-check claims made by local government officials, the mining company and displaced people.</em></li><li><em>The demand for cobalt, a critical mineral for the clean energy transition, is expected to increase and lead to the eviction of communities who find themselves living above their deposits, say energy experts.</em></li><li><em>The mining company’s lawyer says the relocation process is happening fairly, payments are calculated alongside officials and civil society groups, and the land and buildings, like schools, rather belong to the company’s owners.</em></li></ul></div><div id="expander-container" class="bullets container full-width"><button class="content-expander"><span>See All Key Ideas</span></button></div></div> <script> (function($) { $(document).ready(function() { const bulletPoints = $('.bulletpoints'); const toggle = $('.bulletpoints-wrapper .content-expander'); if (bulletPoints.length > 0) { const bulletPointsHeight = bulletPoints[0].scrollHeight; if (bulletPointsHeight && bulletPointsHeight <= 170) { toggle.remove(); } toggle.click(function() { bulletPoints.toggleClass('visible'); $('#expander-container.bullets').toggleClass('visible'); $(this).toggleClass('visible'); }); } }); })(jQuery); </script> <p style="padding: 2px 6px 4px 6px;color: #555555;background-color: #eeeeee;border: #dddddd 2px solid">This report was produced with the support of the <a href="https://rainforestjournalismfund.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Rainforest Investigations Network</a> in partnership with the <a href="https://pulitzercenter.org/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Pulitzer Center</a>.</p> <p>LUBUMBASHI — In Kolwezi, the self-proclaimed cobalt capital of the world, 400 households and a monastery are preparing to leave. Recently in 2022, one area, known as the Gécamines neighborhood, saw 40% of the land become a cobalt and copper mining quarry with 209 households leaving in a controversial relocation process.</p> <p>A symbol of this controversy, Adelard Makonga refused to pack his bags and rather stayed put in his home. He demanded a “legal relocation process,” upping the ante against the Chinese mining company COMMUS (Compagnie miniere de Musonoie) which only agreed to cash compensations — avoiding the long relocation process called for in Congolese law.</p> <p>“I’m not asking much from COMMUS. All I want is to be resettled in the same conditions as here,” Makonga declared on local television in May 2023, a month before his death.</p> <p>According to the law, companies seeking to displace locals are called to find a new location for the home, provide the same sized housing as the original homes, and assist with the moving process.</p> <p>For displaced people like Makonga, leaving Gécamines is also difficult. It is one of the few areas in the region with safe modern roads, running water and stable electricity. It has some of the best infrastructure in Kolwezi, the second biggest city in the Katanga region, in southeastern DRC.</p> <p>Built at the start of the 1940s to house employees of a Congolese state company, Société Générale des Carrières et des Mines (Gécamines), the Gécamines neighborhood is owned by its namesake public cobalt and copper company. Gécamines, the company, holds a minority stake in COMMUS while Zijin Mining Group Ltd, a Chinese mining company, holds the majority of shares.</p> <p>Due to the global clean energy transition and the electrification of transport, the demand for critical minerals such as copper or cobalt for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries is expected to <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/03/will-clean-energy-minerals-provoke-a-shift-in-how-mining-is-done-in-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-wpel-link="internal">increase</a>, according to the International Energy Agency. About <a href="https://www.cobaltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Cobalt-Market-Report-2022_final-1.pdf" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">three-quarters</a> of the world’s cobalt supply comes from the DRC. The Kolwezi mine has an annual production capacity of <a href="https://www.zijinmining.com/global/program-detail-71736.htm" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">120,000 tonnes</a> of copper and <a href="https://www.zijinmining.com/global/program-detail-71736.htm" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">3,000 tonnes</a> of cobalt.</p> <p>Many African civil society organizations <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/03/will-clean-energy-minerals-provoke-a-shift-in-how-mining-is-done-in-africa/" data-wpel-link="internal">fear</a> that, far from benefiting from their mineral wealth, communities that hold reserves of critical minerals will pay the highest price for their extraction — in the form of evictions. However in Kolwezi, this is already a reality.</p> <figure id="attachment_274512" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-274512" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125531/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus.jpg" alt="In 2022, 40% of the Gécamines district was taken over by a mining quarry and 209 households left in a controversial relocation process. " width="1536" height="864" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125531/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus.jpg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125531/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus-768x432.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23125531/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus-610x343.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">In 2022, 40% of the Gécamines district was taken over by a cobalt and copper mining quarry and 209 households left in a controversial relocation process. Image by Eric Cibamba.</figcaption></figure> <h3><strong>Insufficient relocation compensation</strong></h3> <p>The $25,000 offered for each household to relocate is not enough to buy or build another house, which can cost anywhere between $40,000 and $100,000, according to protesters featured in local media. This amount, however, has not been confirmed by other sources.</p> <p>COMMUS has proposed “an average of $80,000” offer per household, according to their lawyer; including in it the value of the plot, the house and the furniture.</p> <p>The discrepancy in reported figures is evidence of the lack of transparency, files and receipts created in the process, on the part of multiple parties: local government, the mining company and displaced people. A local government official who wishes to remain anonymous, stated, without evidence, that COMMUS paid some residents up to $100,000.</p> <p>On Makonga’s part, he waited in his house surrounded by the wall that limits the COMMUS mine until a payment agreement of $90,000 was reached. He only received $3,000 to organize his move, a condition he had to meet before the mining company would pay the remainder. But Makonga died in his home on June 3, 2023, and his wife and six children, who remained in the half-destroyed house due to mining activities in the nearby quarry, are frightened about the uncertain cause of Makonga’s death.</p> <p>Despite Makonga’s passing, his case will be resolved, and his family restored to their rights, assures Jean-Pierre Kalenga, the relocation commission president and Lualaba local government commissioner in charge of land affairs.</p> <p>“We regret his death. However, the commission did everything to ensure that his situation was resolved,” he remarked.</p> <p>In its September 2023 <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/09/drc-cobalt-and-copper-mining-for-batteries-leading-to-human-rights-abuses/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">report</a>, Amnesty International reported that local authorities did not organize real public consultations or consider evicted peoples’ complaints. According to the report, they requested fair compensation payments in writing, which would take into account the true value of the properties they were forced to leave. The Chinese mining company has also not published an environmental impact report, as required by law.</p> <figure id="attachment_274513" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-274513" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee.jpg" alt="Makonga (in blue), who died in June this year, walking among the rubble of his former home." width="1536" height="864" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee.jpg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee-768x432.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee-610x343.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Makonga (in blue), who died in June this year, walking among the rubble of his former home. Image by Eric Cibamba.</figcaption></figure> <p>Despite the dispute, COMMUS’ lawyer still reports that “the relocation is going well.” The payments made to former residents, Patrick Ilunga explains to Mongabay, came “after the investigation conducted by the relocation commission, which included government officials and civil society groups.”</p> <p>During the 2010s, Gécamines, the neighborhood, had an estimated population of 38,000 people, including Gécamines mining employees who received exclusive rights to the houses they occupied. Today, the district population has been reduced by approximately 2,000 inhabitants.</p> <h3><strong>Settling into new neighborhoods proves difficult </strong></h3> <p>While COMMUS and the relocation commission are satisfied with their work, some displaced people, like Edmond Chansa, 60, are not satisfied with their new living arrangements. He now lives in an unfinished house in Joli-Site on the eastern outskirts of Kolwezi and lacks several basic services. He says that COMMUS and the relocation commission denied their resettlement request.</p> <p>“It was an outright refusal. We were paid to leave, and the arbitrary amount of money we were paid was chosen without consulting us,” explains Chansa. He used his $70,000 payment to buy land and build a house, which he is now struggling to complete with the rest of the funds.</p> <p>“We have no electricity or water here. I have to spend 2,500 Congolese francs [around $1] per day for 10 containers of water, while in Gécamines water is easily available,” complains Chansa.</p> <figure id="attachment_274514" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-274514" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130542/Proximite-Commus-et-cite-habitee.jpg" alt="While COMMUS and the relocation commission are happy with the new development, one local 60-year-old is not satisfied with his new living arrangements. " width="1536" height="864" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130542/Proximite-Commus-et-cite-habitee.jpg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130542/Proximite-Commus-et-cite-habitee-768x432.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130542/Proximite-Commus-et-cite-habitee-610x343.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">While COMMUS and the relocation commission are happy with the new development, one local 60-year-old is not satisfied with his new living arrangements. Image by Eric Cibamba.</figcaption></figure> <h3><strong>Abandoning the noise, air pollution </strong></h3> <p>But Céline Lenge, a 58-year-old mother of eight children, plans to leave the area and is awaiting relocation. She has lived about 100 meters (328 feet) from the boundary separating residential areas from COMMUS since she was 17. Life near the mining quarry is punctuated by permanent environmental disturbances: dust, earthquakes and collapsing or cracking walls.</p> <p>COMMUS has built a wall limiting quarry access in a bid to prevent pollution. Kolwezi saw another wall emerge, one in 2017 in Kasulo, where the Chinese company Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM) bought an artisanal quarry in the middle of Kasulo and displaced 600 families. Similarly, the wall was not enough to limit air pollution caused by quarry dust. Destroyed private buildings are also generally not accounted for.</p> <p>Building walls is not enough, according to local Lualaba leader Schadrack Mukad. He is calling for all displaced people exposed to these dangers to be rehomed safely as Gécamines and Musonoie can no longer guarantee the right to a healthy environment. Common problems in these areas include; pollution and noise from mining explosions, atmospheric pollution caused by rock explosions releasing dust, and damage to homes.</p> <p>“Residents do not risk staying outside or hanging their clothes out to dry,” explains Schadrack Mukad. Moreover, he indicates, “the water table in the Gécamines and Musonoie districts has gotten so deep that you have to go 100 or 150 meters [328 to 492 feet] down to find water.”</p> <p>Geologist Jean-Pierre Kamb says that this pollution exposure is no longer just a small matter of concern. “It’s not just baseless fears. This is real damage that is being done, even to those not working in the mining sector.”</p> <p>It is still uncertain if the residents will be relocated or if they will receive compensation, although some, like Céline Lenge, are clearly ready to leave.</p> <figure id="attachment_274515" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-274515" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130629/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus-1.jpg" alt="Life near the mining quarry is punctuated by permanent environmental disturbances: dust, earthquakes and collapsing or cracking walls." width="1536" height="864" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130629/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus-1.jpg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130629/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130629/Cite-Gecamines-et-Commus-1-610x343.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Life near the mining quarry is punctuated by permanent environmental disturbances: dust, earthquakes and collapsing or cracking walls. Image by Eric Cibamba.</figcaption></figure> <h3><strong>‘The schools and hospital belong to Gécamines’<br /> </strong></h3> <p>The nearby mining quarry has also disrupted childrens’ education and threatens a local hospital. Having already lost one school, some kids cross over an old, dangerous quarry to attend another in the neighboring town of Musonoie. Masega primary school, for example, was neither spared from mining damage nor relocated elsewhere. Here, time stood still on November 11, 2021. Poignantly, on a blackboard in the 5th grade classroom, the last grammar lesson focused on the French conjugation of the verb “to finish.”</p> <p>Close to the current limit of the mine, the Gécamines-owned HPK hospital, is also at risk and could disappear.</p> <p>Approached for a comment, COMMUS lawyer Patrick Ilunga responded to criticism about destroyed infrastructure used by the public: “The destroyed schools belong to Gécamines and if anyone should care it is neither us, COMMUS, nor you, journalists. Only Gécamines, COMMUS’ boss, should be worrying about it.”</p> <p>Lualaba local land official, Jean-Pierre Kalenga, also remains vague: “my role is to ensure that the relocation conditions have been respected.”</p> <h3><strong>Contradictory plans all ‘in progress’</strong></h3> <p>About ten kilometers (about 6 miles) from Kolwezi’s commercial center is the village of Tshabula, a quiet and peaceful area until COMMUS’ arrival in 2015. The village was previously known for monks training in its Salvatorian Catholic monastery. In total, about 400 households are affected by mining plans, and waiting for relocation payments is proving stressful.</p> <p>“Once everyone gets their money, we can go and build our new village,” explains the Tshabula leader. This plan, however, is contradicted by what officials of the mining company have in mind.</p> <p>“We are going to build Tshabula 2, although most people in Tshabula want compensation payments,” observed COMMUS lawyer Patrick Ilunga.</p> <p>COMMUS’ mining activity is continuing apace, notes the president of the relocation commission, Jean-Pierre Kalenga. The two factors combined, speed and contradictory approaches, is leading to an unconcerned approach to the relocation process. This is all the more so because, to date, no one has indicated precisely where Tshabula 2 will be built and how. Everything still seems to be “in progress.”</p> <p>“We want relocation to be done better in Tshabula. COMMUS will have to set up [Tshabula] somewhere else,” commented Mr. Kalenga.</p> <figure id="attachment_274516" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-274516" src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130721/Cite-GCM-Kolwezi.jpg" alt="In total, about 400 households are affected by mining plans, and waiting for relocation payments is proving stressful. " width="1536" height="864" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130721/Cite-GCM-Kolwezi.jpg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130721/Cite-GCM-Kolwezi-768x432.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130721/Cite-GCM-Kolwezi-610x343.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">In total, about 400 households are affected by mining plans, and waiting for relocation payments is proving stressful. Image by Eric Cibamba.</figcaption></figure> <p>This vagueness, however, seems to suit some residents, including those coming from Kolwezi. People are quickly moving in to newly built houses in Tshabula. The strategy is building “big, beautiful, sustainable” houses in the village, in order to receive higher relocation compensation when they have to leave, says an anonymous local government official.</p> <p>Moving the Salvatorian monks, who have lived in large buildings in Tshabula since the 1980s, seems to be the most controversial relocation in the region. It is a significant investment, and the issue can sometimes strain relations due to agreements between the Congolese state and the Vatican on the church’s heritage.</p> <p>“My responsibility is to support the relocation. I am not the one who takes care of the archiving or discusses what will become of the Monastery. I am not even from the ministry of mines which take precedence over land in the event of conflicts,” replied Jean-Pierre Kalenga. It is, however, up to the same state the land commissioner represents that is responsible for dealing with cultural or religious aspects.</p> <p>The monks have declined to comment on the relocation process.</p> <hr /> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Banner image: </em></strong><em>Adélard Makonga at the Gécamines mining site. Image by Éric Cibamba.</em></p> <p><em>This story was first published </em><a href="https://fr-mongabay-com.mongabay.com/2023/10/kolwezi-un-filon-de-cobalt-fait-deplacer-plusieurs-milliers-dhabitants/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external"><em>here</em></a><em> on our </em><a href="https://fr-mongabay-com.mongabay.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external"><em>French site</em></a><em> on Sept. 14, 2023.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Related listening from Mongabay’s podcast: </strong>Who benefits from resource extraction in the DRC? Listen here:</em></p> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Embed Player" src="//play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/20820725/height/128/theme/modern/size/standard/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/ffffff/time-start/00:00:00/hide-playlist/yes/download/yes" height="128" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: none;" class="iframe-class" frameborder="0"></iframe> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="C1kRNrZxE1"><p><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/ngos-urge-continued-sanctions-against-drc-mining-giant-dan-gertler/" data-wpel-link="internal">NGOs urge continued sanctions against DRC mining giant Dan Gertler</a></p></blockquote> <iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="“NGOs urge continued sanctions against DRC mining giant Dan Gertler” — Conservation news" src="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/ngos-urge-continued-sanctions-against-drc-mining-giant-dan-gertler/embed/#?secret=o6N1iuy18Z#?secret=C1kRNrZxE1" data-secret="C1kRNrZxE1" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>FEEDBACK:</strong> <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZAR8uRBoWCipFG-c7GYD0AWdn-qKvk8Z0DwpgU3bhi6Zifg/viewform" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Use this form</a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.</p> <div id="single-article-footer"> <div class="container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80"> <div class="section-title gap--16"> <h4>Credits </h4> <div class="divider"></div> </div> <div class="container grid--3 repeat gap--40"> <div class="in-row gap--16"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/98da5a467f5ad093d6617a400c8530b5?s=32&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/98da5a467f5ad093d6617a400c8530b5?s=64&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height='32' width='32' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> </div> <div class="extra-info"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/author/latoyaabulu/" title="Posts by Latoya Abulu" rel="author" data-wpel-link="internal">Latoya Abulu</a> <span>Editor</span> </div> </div> <div class="in-row gap--16"> <div class="author-avatar"> <span class="meta-author-circle"></span> </div> <div class="extra-info"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/by/cait-fahy" data-wpel-link="internal"> Cait Fahy </a> <span>Translator</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="single-article-tags"> <div class="section-title gap--16"><h4>Topics</h4><div class="divider"></div></div><div id="article-taxonomies" class="tags container wrapped" style="position: relative"><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/business/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Business</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/clean-energy/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Clean Energy</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/corruption/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Corruption</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/energy/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Energy</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/environment/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Environment</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/finance/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Finance</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/fossil-fuels/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Fossil Fuels</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/governance/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Governance</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/government/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Government</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/indigenous-rights/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Indigenous Rights</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/industry/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Industry</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/land-conflict/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Land Conflict</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/land-grabbing/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Land Grabbing</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/land-rights/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Land Rights</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/law/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Law</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/mining/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Mining</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/pollution/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Pollution</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/social-justice/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Social Justice</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/africa/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Africa</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/central-africa/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Central Africa</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/democratic-republic-of-congo/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Democratic Republic Of Congo</a><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/list/sub-saharan-africa/" rel="tag" data-wpel-link="internal">Sub-Saharan Africa</a></div><div id="expander-container" class="tags container full-width"><button class="content-expander"><span>See Topics</span></button></div> <script> jQuery(document).ready(function() { const wrapperHeight = document.getElementById('article-taxonomies').scrollHeight; const expanderButton = jQuery('#expander-container.tags button.content-expander'); if (wrapperHeight <= 130) { jQuery('#expander-container.tags').remove(); } expanderButton.click(function() { jQuery('#article-taxonomies').toggleClass('visible'); jQuery('#expander-container.tags').toggleClass('visible'); }); }); </script> </div> </div> <span class="article-comments"><a href="" data-wpel-link="internal"></a></span> <script async src="https://recirculation.spot.im/spot/sp_8TLFqmLV"></script> <div data-spotim-module="recirculation" data-spot-id="sp_8TLFqmLV"></div><script async data-spotim-module="spotim-launcher" src="https://launcher.spot.im/spot/sp_8TLFqmLV" data-post-id="274509"></script> </article> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container ph--40 pv--40 in-column"> <div class="section--highlight slider full-width"> <div class="container full-width in-column gap--40 pv--40"> <h1>Cobalt Capital</h1> <div class="in-column gap--20"> <div id="series-slider"> <div class="article--container slider slider-series"> <div class="article--slide expanded"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/video/2024/11/drc-mines-might-be-poisoning-pregnant-women/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <div class="post-icon"><span class="icon icon-play"></span></div> <div class="img-overlay"></div> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/15112009/Featured_EffetsNefastesPollutionMiniereSanteReproductiveFemmesKolwezi-1200x720.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="DRC mines might be poisoning pregnant women" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> <div class="article--container-headline"> <div class="title headline gap--8 text-center"> <h1>DRC mines might be poisoning pregnant women</h1> <div class="meta"> <span class="byline">Denise Maheho, Dider Makal</span> <span class="date">18 Nov 2024</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--slide collapsed"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/cobalt-mining-for-green-energy-risks-womens-reproductive-health-in-drc/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <div class="img-overlay"></div> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/15191613/protective-gear-1200x800.jpeg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/15191613/protective-gear-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/15191613/protective-gear-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> <div class="article--container-headline"> <div class="title headline gap--8 text-center"> <h1>Cobalt mining for green energy risks women’s reproductive health in DRC</h1> <div class="meta"> <span class="byline">Didier Makal and Denise Mahelo</span> <span class="date">18 Nov 2024</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--slide collapsed"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/in-the-drc-a-government-commission-is-taking-funds-owed-to-people-relocated-by-mines/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <div class="img-overlay"></div> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee-1200x800.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Makonga (in blue), who died in June this year, walking among the rubble of his former home." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/10/23130454/Ruines-dune-maison-delocalisee-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> <div class="article--container-headline"> <div class="title headline gap--8 text-center"> <h1>In the DRC, a government commission is taking funds owed to people relocated by mines</h1> <div class="meta"> <span class="byline">Didier Makal</span> <span class="date">20 Aug 2024</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--slide collapsed"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/impunity-and-pollution-abound-in-drc-mining-along-the-road-to-energy-transition/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <div class="img-overlay"></div> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/05/09192731/Loading-of-minerals-from-artisanal-mines-in-Kakanda.-Photo-by-Didier-Makal-1200x800.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/05/09192731/Loading-of-minerals-from-artisanal-mines-in-Kakanda.-Photo-by-Didier-Makal-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/05/09192731/Loading-of-minerals-from-artisanal-mines-in-Kakanda.-Photo-by-Didier-Makal-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> <div class="article--container-headline"> <div class="title headline gap--8 text-center"> <h1>Impunity and pollution abound in DRC mining along the road to the energy transition</h1> <div class="meta"> <span class="byline">Didier Makal</span> <span class="date">14 May 2024</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="series--description-container" class="gap--20"> <div class="series--description column--60"> <p>Cobalt is a critical mineral for lithium-ion batteries that power a range of renewable energy storage systems, including electric vehicles and consumer electronics. In the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s cobalt capital, southeastern Katanga Province, mining pollution is increasing and polluters often fail to respond properly, in accordance with Congolese law. According to […]</p> </div> <div class="series--browse column--40"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/specials/2024/11/cobalt-capital/" class="theme--button outlined no-margins" data-wpel-link="internal">Cobalt Capital series <span class="icon icon-right"></span></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script> document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { let articles = document.querySelectorAll(".article--slide"); let currentIndex = 0; let autoSlideInterval; const slideIntervalTime = 5000; function showNextArticle(nextIndex) { articles[currentIndex].classList.remove("expanded"); articles[currentIndex].classList.add("collapsed"); currentIndex = nextIndex; articles[currentIndex].classList.remove("collapsed"); articles[currentIndex].classList.add("expanded"); } function startAutoSlide() { autoSlideInterval = setInterval(() => { showNextArticle((currentIndex + 1) % articles.length); }, slideIntervalTime); } function stopAutoSlide() { clearInterval(autoSlideInterval); } articles.forEach((article, index) => { article.addEventListener("click", (event) => { if (!article.classList.contains("expanded")) { showNextArticle(index); event.preventDefault(); } else { window.location.href = article.querySelector("a").href; } }); article.addEventListener("mouseenter", stopAutoSlide); article.addEventListener("mouseleave", startAutoSlide); }); articles[currentIndex].classList.add("expanded"); startAutoSlide(); }); </script> <div class="container full-width pv--40"> <div class="banner gap--20 accent full-width pv--56"> <div class="inner"> <div class="title"> <h1 class="extra-large">Free and open access to credible information</h1> </div> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/about" class="theme--button primary "> Learn more<span class="icon icon-right"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="section-post-latest" class="container pv--40 gap--20 in-column"> <div class="container in-row full-width section--headline" style="align-items: center; justify-content: space-between;"> <h1>Latest articles</h1> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/articles" class="theme--button primary md-hide" data-wpel-link="internal">All articles<span class="icon icon-right"></span></a> </div> <div class="grid--4 gap--20"> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/in-brazils-water-tank-communities-resist-mining-to-preserve-their-water-and-livelihoods/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/30013627/Ana-Cruz-Queimadas.-By-Beatriz-Miranda-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/30013627/Ana-Cruz-Queimadas.-By-Beatriz-Miranda-768x512.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/30013627/Ana-Cruz-Queimadas.-By-Beatriz-Miranda-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>In Brazil’s ‘water tank’, communities resist mining to preserve their water and livelihoods</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Beatriz Miranda, Íria Borges</span> <span class="date">30 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/fires-rip-through-indigenous-territories-in-brazilian-amazon/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29230510/1129-capoto-xingu-sept-planet-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Satellite imagery captured September 2024 by Planet Labs shows a fire burning along the boundary between Xingu Indigenous Park and Capoto/Jarina Indigenous Territory. The territories are surrounded by denuded industrial farm fields." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29230510/1129-capoto-xingu-sept-planet-768x512.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29230510/1129-capoto-xingu-sept-planet-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>Fires rip through Indigenous territories in Brazilian Amazon</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Ruth Kamnitzer</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/new-research-unveils-microbial-life-in-u-s-rivers/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29033209/Ahart-Mongabay-2-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="2. A U.S. Geological Survey boat monitors a severe Mississippi River flood near St. Louis, Missouri, in December 2015. Photo credit: U.S. Geological Survey" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29033209/Ahart-Mongabay-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29033209/Ahart-Mongabay-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>New research maps microbial life in U.S. rivers</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Liz Kimbrough</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/in-bolivias-flooded-savannas-ranching-aims-to-boost-grasslands-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29160806/Ranching-in-Natural-Savannas-at-Barba-Azul-Nature-Reserve_Luz-Mercado-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>In Bolivia’s flooded savannas, ranching aims to boost grasslands conservation</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Brian Kluepfel</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/how-german-government-funds-and-tanzanian-conservation-agencies-fuel-the-serengeti-land-grab/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29172624/A-Maasai-looking-over-Ololosokwan_1-768x512.jpeg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="A Maasai looking over Ololosokwan. Image by Benjamin Hindrichs." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29172624/A-Maasai-looking-over-Ololosokwan_1-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29172624/A-Maasai-looking-over-Ololosokwan_1-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29172624/A-Maasai-looking-over-Ololosokwan_1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29172624/A-Maasai-looking-over-Ololosokwan_1-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29172624/A-Maasai-looking-over-Ololosokwan_1-610x407.jpeg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>How German government funds and Tanzanian conservation agencies fuel the Serengeti land grab</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Benjamin Hindrichs</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/the-illegal-runways-exposing-the-kakataibo-people-to-drug-violence-in-peru/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29150332/edited-1-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29150332/edited-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29150332/edited-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29150332/edited-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29150332/edited-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29150332/edited-1-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="featured-label">Feature story</div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>The illegal runways exposing the Kakataibo people to drug violence in Peru</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Mongabay Latam</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/antarctic-krill-store-massive-amounts-of-carbon-in-the-deep-ocean-researchers-find/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29031749/krill_2-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Antarctic krill swim in swarms of billions. Credit: Aker BioMarine, Pew" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29031749/krill_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29031749/krill_2-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>Antarctic krill store massive amounts of carbon in the deep ocean, researchers find</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Farah Aziz Annesha</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="article--container"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/using-science-to-fight-deforestation-interview-with-world-forest-ids-jade-saunders-andrew-lowe/" data-wpel-link="internal"> <div class="featured-image"> <img src="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29091046/deforestation-technology-3-768x512.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="World Forest ID collects samples from around the world and uses chemical and genetic profiling techniques to create a database that classifies timber and other plants based on their location of origin." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29091046/deforestation-technology-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/29091046/deforestation-technology-3-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> </div> <div class="title headline"> <h3>Using science to fight deforestation: Interview with World Forest ID’s Jade Saunders & Andrew Lowe</h3> </div> <div class="post-meta pv--8"> <span class="byline">Abhishyant Kidangoor</span> <span class="date">29 Nov 2024</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> <div class="container centered pv--40"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/articles" class="theme--button primary" data-wpel-link="internal">All articles<span class="icon icon-right"></span></a> </div> </div> <div class="container pv--40 full-width"> <div class="banner gap--20 accent ph--20 pv--56 full-width"> <div class="inner"> <div class="title"> <h1 class="extra-large">Subscribe</h1> </div> <div class="copy"> Stay informed with news and inspiration from nature’s frontline. </div> <a href="https://mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=940652e1f4" class="theme--button primary "> Newsletter<span class="icon icon-right"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer class="footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="container ph--40 pv--40 in-column gap--40"> <div class="branding"> <a href="https://news.mongabay.com" class="theme-light" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/logo/mongabay_logo_news_black.svg" /></a><a href="" class="theme-dark" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/img/logo/mongabay_logo_news_white.svg" /></a> </div> <div class="grid--4 gap--40"> <div> <div class="section-title gap--16 pv--8"> <h4>News formats</h4> <div class="divider"></div> </div> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/videos" data-wpel-link="internal">Videos</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/podcasts" data-wpel-link="internal">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/articles" data-wpel-link="internal">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/specials" data-wpel-link="internal">Specials</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/shorts" data-wpel-link="internal">Short news</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/features" data-wpel-link="internal">Feature Stories</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/?s=&formats=post+videos+podcasts+shorts+specials" data-wpel-link="internal">The Latest</a></li> </ul> </div> <div> <div class="section-title gap--16 pv--8"> <h4>About</h4> <div class="divider"></div> </div> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/about" data-wpel-link="internal">About</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/contact" data-wpel-link="internal">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/donate" data-wpel-link="internal">Donate</a></li> <li><a href="https://mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=940652e1f4" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external">Newsletters</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/submissions" data-wpel-link="internal">Submissions</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/terms" data-wpel-link="internal">Terms of Use</a></li> </ul> </div> <div> <div class="section-title gap--16 pv--8"> <h4>External links</h4> <div class="divider"></div> </div> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://www.wildmadagascar.org/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Wild Madagascar</a></li> <li><a href="https://worldrainforests.com/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Rainforests</a></li> <li><a href="https://kids.mongabay.com/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">For Kids</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.mongabay.org/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Mongabay.org</a></li> <li><a href="https://tropicalforestnetwork.org/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Tropical Forest Network</a></li> </ul> </div> <div> <div class="section-title gap--16 pv--8"> <h4>Social media</h4> <div class="divider"></div> </div> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mongabay.com/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mongabay/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrubbmyCz8krGnpsbhJRYg/videos" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Youtube</a></li> <li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/feed" data-wpel-link="internal">RSS / XML</a></li> <li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mongabay.bsky.social" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">BlueSky</a></li> <li><a href="https://mastodon.green/@mongabay" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Mastodon</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Van30VN9RZAgV5YaZD1g" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">WhatsApp</a></li> <li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newsmongabay&hl=en" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Android App</a></li> <li><a href="https://apple.news/T7BxfNfp4QAiuOPNsUcn04Q/" target="_blank" data-wpel-link="external" rel="external">Apple News</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="divider"></div> <div> <p class="copyright"> © 2024 Copyright Conservation news. Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform. Our EIN or tax ID is 45-3714703. </p> </div> </div> </footer> <div class='offline-indicator offline-indicator--bottom' style='background-color: #000000'><p style='color:#ffffff'>you're currently offline</p></div><link rel='stylesheet' id='soundcite-css' href='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/soundcite/latest/css/player.css' media='all' /> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/js/lib/addtohomescreen.min.js" id="addtohomescreen-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/themes/mongabay_v2/js/lib/dialog-polyfill.js" id="dialog-polyfill-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="leadin-script-loader-js-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var leadin_wordpress = {"userRole":"visitor","pageType":"post","leadinPluginVersion":"10.1.23"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://js.hs-scripts.com/5981609.js?integration=WordPress&ver=10.1.23" id="leadin-script-loader-js-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/progressive-wp/assets/scripts/ui-offline.js" id="pwp-offline-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/progressive-wp/assets/scripts/ui-installprompt.js" id="pwp-installprompt-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-content/plugins/bloom/core/admin/js/common.js" id="et-core-common-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/soundcite/latest/js/soundcite.min.js" id="soundcite-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://news.mongabay.com/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js" id="wp-embed-js" defer="defer" data-wp-strategy="defer"></script> <script>!function(){window.advanced_ads_ready_queue=window.advanced_ads_ready_queue||[],advanced_ads_ready_queue.push=window.advanced_ads_ready;for(var d=0,a=advanced_ads_ready_queue.length;d<a;d++)advanced_ads_ready(advanced_ads_ready_queue[d])}();</script> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery('.soliloquy-container').removeClass('no-js'); </script> </body> </html>