October 2023

Small-scale mining and child labour in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Child labour is a critical issue in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The case of Kolwezi in Lualaba is of interest because the area is known as the capital of cobalt, a strategic mineral for the transition to a low-carbon economy. Since 2017, global demand for cobalt has been soaring and this raises the question of working conditions in the ASM. This paper attempts to provide a...

Author(s): Godelive Kusimwa Batano, Martin Doevenspeck and Nene Morisho Mwana Biningo