What changed
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s informal mining economy is tied to dangerous labor conditions, child labor and armed-group control across its cobalt and coltan regions.
The report says:
- The DRC produced roughly 73% of the world’s mined cobalt in 2025.
- About 40,000 children work in mines across southern DRC, according to UNICEF.
- A March 2026 disaster at Rubaya killed 200 people, including 70 children, according to Congolese officials.
- M23 controls the Rubaya site and collects at least $800,000 a month from the coltan trade, according to UN investigators.
Why it matters
The minerals are small parts of expensive products, but the risks are concentrated at the bottom of the supply chain. A smartphone battery contains roughly eight grams of cobalt, worth about 28 cents at the reported October 20 price of $34,620 per ton. An electric vehicle contains about 10 kilograms, worth around $350.
That gap helps explain the problem. Ore moves through depots, traders, exporters, refiners and manufacturers, while miners may earn only $2 to $3 a day. Children can earn up to $2.50. Amnesty International France said miners alleged that depot operators controlled the scales and grade tests, leaving workers with little leverage over the price.
Kinshasa suspended cobalt exports in 2025 and later imposed quotas, signaling an effort to gain control over a trade whose profits are spread far beyond the mine. The outlook remains uncertain because the report gives conflicting estimates for the number of children under 14 working in mines, and does not establish how much cobalt in consumer products comes directly from artisanal mining.
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