PRESS RELEASE

Kinshasa, April 2 , 2026

[French version avaible here]

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has taken note of information reported by certain international media following the recent publication of a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) on air pollution linked to the activities of Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) and its impacts on the health of local communities.

This report highlights concerning allegations regarding serious health consequences for nearby populations, including respiratory disorders, nosebleeds, and cases of vomiting blood, attributed to prolonged exposure to potentially contaminated air.

On March 18, 2026, the Minister of Mines decided to summon TFM to present its technical evidence regarding the management of the environmental impacts of its activities. He also announced the organization of a joint investigation aimed at objectively documenting the situation.

Resource Matters welcomes and encourages this government initiative, which it considers a responsible measure. It constitutes a prompt and appropriate response, demonstrating a willingness to address concerns related to environmental pollution affecting local communities.

Resource Matters makes the following recommendations to the government:

1. Fully clarify the allegations
   Go beyond this initial step by ensuring that all facts are thoroughly established. If confirmed, responsibilities must be clearly determined and appropriate sanctions applied in accordance with existing laws, notably the Mining Code and Mining Regulations of the DRC.
2. Ensure compliance with environmental obligations
   Ensure that Tenke Fungurume Mining strictly complies with its environmental management obligations, particularly with regard to the operations of the 30K processing plant.
3. Ensure transparency of investigations
   Make public the results of the announced investigation, as well as the concrete measures that will follow. Transparency is essential to restore trust among affected communities and to promote responsible governance in the mining sector.
4. Strengthen the capacity of technical services
   Sustainably enhance the resources of state technical services so they can fully carry out their monitoring and regulatory functions, without relying exclusively on alerts from civil society.
5. Conduct a comprehensive environmental audit
   Seize this opportunity to carry out a comprehensive environmental audit of mining sites across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in urban areas such as Kolwezi, where impacts on populations are especially acute.
6. Extend efforts across the entire mining sector
   Expand this approach to all mining sites in the country to prevent risks, improve environmental governance, and effectively protect communities, in line with sustainable development objectives.

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Media contact:

[FR]  Philippe Masudi:

Chargé de projet Gouvernance minière et minerais stratégiques

philippe.masudi@resourcematters.org / +243 812 338 235

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[EN] Martina Matarazzo

International Advocacy Coordinator

martina.matarazzo@resourcematters.org

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