The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially recorded 1,800 kilograms of gold production in Ituri province last year, according to a January 8 report by the United Nations Group of Experts. However, much of the region’s gold is mined outside government control, with vast amounts of revenue flowing to armed groups that dominate mining sites, impose taxes on local miners, and smuggle gold out of the country.
The UN report highlights the role of several militias operating in Ituri, including CODECO-URDPC, the Zaire group, ADCVI, and the FRPI. These armed groups have seized control of gold-rich areas and continue to extract millions of dollars from mining operations, largely through illegal taxation and checkpoint fees.
In the first quarter of 2024, the government’s mining oversight body, the Service d’Assistance et d’Encadrement Minière Artisanale et à Petite Échelle (SAEMAPE), recorded just 17 kilograms of gold in official production. Similarly, the local gold traders’ cooperative COONORI registered 24 kilograms. These figures fall drastically short of the estimated gold output in the region, which the UN experts estimate at $140 million in annual revenues from artisanal gold mining alone. Most of this wealth escapes state control and is instead absorbed by criminal networks. 
In Djugu territory, an area with significant gold deposits, a militia leader known as Commandant Baraka, who heads the Zaire/ADCVI group, controls several mining sites and checkpoints. According to the UN report, Baraka’s operations generate approximately $1.6 million per month from gold-related taxes and fees. The report notes that the funds are often laundered through real estate and commercial investments in towns such as Mabanga, Iga-Barrière, and Bunia.
Congolese investigative outlet Actualité.cd confirmed the findings, reporting that the illegal gold trade remains a major source of financing for armed groups in Ituri. The outlet highlighted that gold extracted from conflict zones is regularly smuggled across the border into Uganda, where it is sold to regional traders and eventually enters global supply chains.
The International Peace Information Service (IPIS) has previously documented similar smuggling routes, noting that Uganda remains a key transit point for gold sourced from conflict areas in eastern Congo. Gold smuggled through Uganda is often exported to international markets, including the United Arab Emirates, where traceability mechanisms are weak, allowing illicit gold to be laundered into the formal market.
The UN report highlights the difficulty in distinguishing between legally mined and conflict-sourced gold. Once gold leaves Congo, it becomes nearly impossible to trace its origin, creating opportunities for armed groups to profit from the global demand for precious metals. The report called for tighter enforcement of existing sanctions under UN Resolution 2293 (2016), which targets individuals and entities involved in the illegal exploitation of natural resources in conflict zones.
Several Ituri-based NGOs, including Justice Plus and Cadre de Concertation de la Société Civile de l’Ituri, have called on the Congolese government to strengthen its presence in mining areas and crack down on illegal operations. They argue that the lack of state control over mining sites has allowed militias to entrench their influence and perpetuate violence in the region.
“Armed groups thrive in areas where the state is absent,” said Jean Chrysostome Kijana, head of the civil society group Justice Plus. “The illegal taxation of artisanal miners is one of their main sources of revenue. Without stronger government oversight, these groups will continue to operate unchecked.”
Ituri’s gold wealth remains both a blessing and a curse for the region. While the province has significant potential to contribute to Congo’s economic growth, its mineral riches have fueled conflict for decades. Local activists and researchers, including The Sentry, an investigative organization focused on illicit financial flows in Africa, have documented how gold revenues are often funneled into purchasing weapons and financing militia operations.
The UN report suggests that corruption within Congo’s regulatory agencies also plays a role in enabling the illegal gold trade. Some government officials have been accused of turning a blind eye to smuggling networks or even facilitating the movement of conflict gold. A 2022 report by the UK-based Global Witness found that despite official efforts to regulate the sector, many artisanal miners in Congo still operate informally, without licenses or proper documentation.
Experts argue that resolving the problem will require more than just sanctions and international pressure. John Katunga, a peace and conflict advisor with the Catholic Relief Services, said that unless local communities benefit directly from mining revenues, the cycle of exploitation will continue.
“Until the local population sees tangible benefits from their resources, they will have no incentive to support formal governance structures,” Katunga said. “Right now, the wealth generated from gold mining benefits a few armed groups and their patrons. The government must find a way to formalize artisanal mining and ensure that revenues are invested back into the community.”
The Congolese government has made attempts to formalize the artisanal mining sector, including the introduction of mining cooperatives and traceability systems. However, these efforts have been slow to take hold in conflict-affected areas like Ituri, where armed groups remain firmly entrenched.
Meanwhile, the global demand for gold remains high. According to the World Gold Council, gold prices rose by nearly 18% over the past year, driven by strong demand from investors and central banks seeking safe-haven assets. This rising demand has only increased the incentive for illegal mining in regions like eastern Congo, where weak governance and ongoing conflict make it easy for militias to exploit natural resources.
The UN experts concluded that unless stronger measures are taken to address the illegal gold trade, the cycle of violence and exploitation in Ituri will persist. They called on both the Congolese government and international partners to prioritize the formalization of the mining sector and ensure that mineral wealth contributes to peace and development, rather than conflict.
