M23 rebels deny looting gold allegedly linked to President Tshisekedi's family at Twangiza
At a press conference in Goma on Thursday, Corneille Nangaa, political coordinator of the Congo River Alliance/M23, said the mine was not operational when his forces took control in May.
M23 rebels have denied seizing about 500 kilograms of gold from the Twangiza mining site in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
They rejected claims by the mining company that the bullion, said to belong to President Félix Tshisekedi’s family, was secretly transported through underground channels.
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At a press conference in Goma on Thursday, Corneille Nangaa, political coordinator of the Congo River Alliance/M23, said the mine was not operational when his forces took control in May.
Only artisanal miners were working at the site, he said, adding that M23 lacked the equipment necessary for large-scale gold extraction.
Nangaa also accused Congolese government forces of attacking the site, including through aerial bombings, which he said had killed civilians, though he did not provide a death toll.
"I regret having to address such a question while civilians have just lost their lives in Twangiza due to drone bombings by the Kinshasa regime," he said.
Twangiza Mining, which operates the gold concession, said it had lost over 100 kilograms of gold per month since the M23 takeover, along with roughly $5 million (Sh645.85 million) worth of equipment and materials.
The company said a drone strike on October 15 destroyed power generation infrastructure, though it remains unclear who was responsible. The Congolese government has not commented on the accusations.
The Mining company also accused the rebels of enlisting Rwandan technicians to extract geological data to potentially resume and expand mining activities. Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23, despite repeated allegations from UN experts and Western and regional governments.
The company said a drone strike on October 15 destroyed power generation infrastructure, though it remains unclear who was responsible. The Congolese government has not commented on the accusations.
The Twangiza site, formerly part of the Canadian Banro Corporation and later acquired by Chinese firm Baiyin International Investments, is now reportedly linked to President Tshisekedi’s family, including his wife Denise Nyakeru and mother Marthe Kasalu.
According to Nangaa, all extracted gold had been moved to Kindu, Maniema province, before M23 arrived.
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