Social and Economic Dynamics of Mining in Kalima, DRC

This research paper examines the social and economic impacts of artisanal cassiterite mining in Kalima, Maniema province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Based on 2007 fieldwork, the author argues that artisanal mining provides better employment, income, and working conditions for the local population than the previous industrial mining era, while remaining largely disconnected from the violent conflict seen in other DRC provinces.

• Artisanal mining in Kalima is more remunerative for the local working class than industrial mining was, with thousands of diggers benefiting from buoyant international commodity prices.
• The organizational structure of artisanal mining is less oppressive and more democratic than the colonial-era industrial model, utilizing shallow hierarchies and associations that often include women and children.
• The boom in artisanal mining has led to a significant decline in local food production as farmers abandon their fields, contributing to rising food prices and increased malnutrition among the very poor.
• Social service provision in Kalima has collapsed following the end of industrial mining, as the state provides almost no services and the previous company-led infrastructure has fallen into extreme disrepair.
• Preliminary evidence suggests that artisanal mining is less environmentally damaging to the landscape than industrial mining, which left permanent deep gashes in the hills.
• The transport of minerals has become more environmentally damaging since the collapse of the rail link, as ore is now flown out of Kalima or Kindu in aircraft.
• The DRC's high export taxes on cassiterite encourage smuggling into Rwanda, where no such taxes exist, as the state relies on trade taxes due to an inability to collect domestic revenue like VAT.
• Unlike the Kivu regions, mining in Maniema province has not been used by warlords or militias to fund military activities, and the absence of armed groups improves prices and conditions for diggers.
• The liquidation of Sominki in 1997 was highly controversial because most Congolese employees were left without the severance packages paid to expatriate staff.

APA

Mthembu-Salter, G. (2009). Social and Economic Dynamics of Mining in Kalima, DRC. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper185.pdf

Chicago

Mthembu-Salter, Gregory. Social and Economic Dynamics of Mining in Kalima, DRC. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper185.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mthembu-Salter |first1=Gregory |title=Social and Economic Dynamics of Mining in Kalima, DRC |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=April 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper185.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mthembusalter2009social, author = {Mthembu-Salter, Gregory}, title = {{Social and Economic Dynamics of Mining in Kalima, DRC}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper185.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }