In March 2026, a landslide at the Rubaya mines in Masisi Territory killed over 200 people. What country was this in?

The devastating landslide at the Rubaya mines in Masisi Territory, which tragically claimed over 200 lives in March 2026, occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This region, specifically the Masisi Territory within the North Kivu province, is located in the eastern part of the country. The March 3, 2026, incident was one of several such disasters in the area, following another major landslide in late January 2026 that also resulted in hundreds of fatalities.

The Rubaya mines are a significant source of coltan, a mineral essential for manufacturing electronics like mobile phones and computers. The mining operations are largely artisanal, meaning miners often work in precarious and unregulated conditions, digging tunnels by hand with little to no protective gear. These dangerous practices, combined with heavy rains and unstable terrain, make the area highly susceptible to deadly landslides.

Adding to the complexity and danger, the Rubaya mining sites have been under the control of armed groups, such as the M23 rebels, since April 2024. This control has led to a breakdown in formal regulatory frameworks, exacerbating safety issues and creating a governance vacuum where mining activities continue without proper oversight. The ongoing conflict and the illicit exploitation of mineral resources contribute to a dire humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo, with such tragedies tragically highlighting the human cost of unregulated mining in conflict zones.