DRC: civil society calls for suspension of mining in Upemba park
Twenty-four Congolese civil society organisations working on environmental protection wrote to the Congolese president on 8 October 2026 asking for the suspension of mining activities in Upemba National Park in order to preserve its ecosystems and biodiversity. They state that gold and coltan exploration and exploitation are taking place inside the park and in its surroundings, with heavy machinery and mining infrastructure present. The park's communications officer, Antonio Longangi, says the mining activities concern the peripheral zones and not the core of the park, and that a management plan is being implemented to address the threats.
Why it matters: The dispute sets resource extraction against conservation in a protected area, a recurring axis of the briefing's coverage of mineral-producing states.