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The DR Congo faces exceptionally high levels of extreme and multidimensional poverty, with forecasts suggesting it will fail to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals on its current path. Despite modest declines in extreme poverty between 2005 and 2018, the country remains one of the world's poorest, with significant regional variations and a growing urban poverty phenomenon.

The document examines why international efforts to reform the security sector and stabilise the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2003 and 2013 achieved limited impact. It argues that the FARDC is shaped by a neo-patrimonial system where political and military elites benefit from a fragmented army and weak state institutions to maintain patronage networks. International interventions, including the International Security and Stabilisation Support Strategy (ISSSS), were overly technical—focusing on 'train-and-equip' models—and failed to address the political root causes of violence. While the 2013 defeat of the M23 rebellion provided a temporary success and a window for reform, the authors caution that the underlying incentive structures remain largely unchanged.

Indian mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) operate on a small to medium scale compared to Western and Chinese firms, primarily growing through profit reinvestment rather than state or external capital. While companies like Rubamin, Chemaf, and Somika contribute to copper and cobalt output in Katanga, they face criticism over environmental pollution and labor conditions. Mining Mineral Resources (MMR) is strategically positioning itself as a producer of 'conflict-free' tin and tantalum through tagging and the construction of a domestic smelter. The primary risk to these operations is political instability following the departure of Katanga's governor, Moïse Katumbi.

The research paper examines the transition from industrial to artisanal mining in Kalima, Maniema Province, DRC. It argues that artisanal mining of cassiterite has provided better employment, higher incomes, and more democratic work structures for the local population than the previous industrial regime under Sominki and Sakima. However, this shift has led to a decline in local agriculture and a collapse of social services previously provided by mining companies. The author also analyzes the Congolese fiscal system, noting that high export taxes encourage smuggling into Rwanda, and suggests that the lack of conflict in Maniema contrasts with the resource-fueled wars in the Kivu regions.

The paper argues that artisanal mining in Kalima is more beneficial to the local population than industrial mining was, providing higher employment, better income, and more democratic working conditions. While it notes a decline in local farming and a collapse of social services previously provided by industrial companies, it suggests artisanal mining is more environmentally benign than industrial methods, despite the high carbon footprint of flying ore out of the region. The author also analyzes the DRC's punitive export tax regime, which encourages smuggling into Rwanda, and argues that the lack of conflict in Maniema's mining sector contrasts with the resource-fueled violence in the Kivu regions.

The document examines the role of illegal mining in the conflict within the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It analyzes the failure of a 2010-2011 mining ban and the potential risks associated with the US Dodd-Frank Act's 'conflict minerals' legislation, such as economic losses and increased smuggling. The author contends that illegal mining is a manifestation rather than a primary cause of conflict, suggesting that sustainable peace requires addressing deeper issues through measures like decentralization to improve local governance and infrastructure.

The study finds that women living near ASM sites in Eastern DRC are more likely to experience both intimate partner sexual violence and sexual violence by others. This risk is particularly acute for women in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema living near mines controlled by armed actors.