You probably remember learning about the California Gold Rush. In 1848, James Carter discovered gold flakes in the American River in Sacramento Valley. This is bringing thousands of hopeful gold miners to the area in what is being referred to as “gold fever.” (1)
Well, mark March 2021 in your calendars: The month of the modern-day gold rush. This time, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (2)
Gold Rush in The Congo
In late February 2021, miners in the town of Luhihi discovered gold-rich soil in the mountain there. We’re not just talking about a few flakes though: The mountain’s soil consists of 60%-90% pure gold. Thousands of people began pouring into the small town to try and get their hands on even just a little bit of the treasure in what’s being called the gold rush of the Congo. (2)
A video from the Republic of the Congo documents the biggest surprise for some villagers in this country, as an entire mountain filled with gold was discovered!
— Ahmad Algohbary (@AhmadAlgohbary) March 2, 2021
They dig the soil inside the gold deposits and take them to their homes in order to wash the dirt& extract the gold. pic.twitter.com/i4UMq94cEh
In videos, you can see throngs of people digging and collecting soil with shovels and even just their hands. Afterward, they wash away the soil to reveal the pure gold leftover. This is known as subsistence mining: The act of extracting materials using every-day tools. (3) This practice is quite common in the Congo, as it is a nation full of natural riches, including (3):
- Oil
- Timber
- Diamonds
- Other minerals
One of those, as you now know, is gold. Its discovery in the mountain soil led to chaos and disorder, quickly overwhelming Luhihi. The rush for riches and thick crowds trying to get their hands on the precious metal quickly became dangerous, particularly when the Congo’s armed forces (FARDC) arrived on-scene. (4)
Mining Ban
On March 1, the country’s government released a decree requiring all miners, traders, and members of the FARDC to leave all mining sites around the small town. They have put a damper on the gold rush and suspended until further notice. (4)
The order also said that the presence of the FARDC contributed to the chaos in Luhihi and violated the Congo’s mining code. This code states that the FARDC is not permitted in mining sites. (4)
The government is now attempting to re-establish order in the area. Explaining the purpose of the ban, they wrote this in their decree:
“not only to protect lives but also to ensure the traceability of the gold produced in line with Congolese law.” (4)
Rebel Groups and The Gold Rush
One of the reasons that the government is trying to control this new gold rush is because of the active rebel and militia groups in the area. There are at least a dozen of these groups in the area fighting against the FARDC and UN Peacekeepers for what are known as “conflict minerals.” (5) These include (5):
- Gold
- Tin
- Tungsten
- Tantalum
All of these are essential in producing electronics and are highly valuable. Rebel groups mine and trade these materials to purchase weapons and, in general, finance themselves. Often they capture and enslave people to mine these materials for them. They then tax and smuggle the materials to reap the financial rewards for themselves and their militia groups. (5)
Essentially, the gold trade, as well as these other minerals, is the major driver for these rebel groups that cause dangerous violence in the region. (5)
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Sources
- “California Gold Rush.” History. April 6, 2010.
- “Congo gold mountain: See wetin we know about di viral video.” BBC. March 2021.
- “Congo bans mining in South Kivu village after gold rush.” Reuters. Staff. March 4, 2021.
- “Mountain Where Soil Is ‘90% Gold’ Discovered In Democratic Republic Of The Congo.” Unilad. Emily Brown. March 5, 2021.
- Congos Gold