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Abstract

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) grapples with a pervasive and alarming phenomenon of forced evictions orchestrated by multinational corporations operating within its cobalt and copper mining sites. This comprehensive inquiry, undertaken collaboratively by Amnesty International and the DRC-based Initiative for Good Governance and Human Rights, meticulously scrutinizes the multifaceted human rights implications emanating from four mining projects situated in the Kolwezi region of the DRC. The investigative report documents a troubling pattern of systematic disregard for the fundamental rights and dignity of affected populations, compounded by a stark failure on the part of mining operators to adhere to extant national legislation designed to mitigate the deleterious impacts of forced evictions attendant to mining pursuits. Despite the DRC’s indispensable role as a principal global supplier of cobalt, a critical component in rechargeable batteries vital to the electronics and electric vehicle industries, the relentless quest for expansion by mining entities, particularly within the Kolwezi region, has precipitated the involuntary displacement of thousands of individuals, thereby imperiling their inalienable entitlements to shelter, education, healthcare, and communal coexistence. Against the backdrop of concerted global endeavors aimed at curbing carbon emissions and embracing renewable energy sources, it is incumbent upon the international community to ensure that this transition is executed consonant with universally recognized human rights principles and affords adequate protection to vulnerable communities adversely impacted by extractive industries. This article endeavors to contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding human rights violations within the Democratic Republic of Congo by analyzing the complex international legal doctrines implicated by the egregious human rights violations arising from the implementation of mass forced eviction in the Kolwezi region of the DRC. Of particular concern is the infringement upon the human right to adequate alternative housing, a fundamental tenet enshrined within the international human rights framework. In light of the humanitarian crisis precipitated by the forced evictions realized in the region of Kolwezi, it is evident that direct and concerted international intervention is indispensable to uphold the rule of law, safeguard human rights, and facilitate the sustainable recovery and rehabilitation of affected communities within the DRC. This article thus concludes by proffering pragmatic recommendations for the implementation of sustainable recovery programs and the establishment of judicial mechanisms to afford redress for the grievous human rights abuses perpetrated against vulnerable populations within the DRC’s mining regions.

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