A confidential United Nations report, reviewed by Reuters, accuses Rwandan firm Boss Mining Solution of purchasing minerals smuggled from rebel-held areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This illicit trade is reportedly funding the M23 insurgency, a heavily armed rebel group operating in eastern Congo.
The report marks the first time the UN has named a company allegedly complicit in such trafficking since M23 seized a key mining area last year.
The UN report asserts that illegal mining in M23-controlled territories and the subsequent smuggling of these minerals into Rwanda have reached “unprecedented levels.”
Sales from this mineral trade are described as critical to sustaining M23’s rebellion.
The insurgents have this year seized vast areas of eastern DRC, including the country’s largest coltan mine and other sites rich in gold, copper, tin, and gemstones.
A Reuters analysis of 2024 customs records shows Boss Mining as a significant exporter of coltan, despite Rwanda producing little of the ore itself.
Rubaya, a Congolese mining area now under M23 control, accounts for 15% of the world’s coltan production.
Eddy Habimana, a Rwandan businessman with a history of alleged mineral smuggling, runs Boss Mining’s operations.
UN investigators identified him a decade ago in connection with similar activities.
While Habimana denies purchasing coltan from Rubaya, claiming compliance with international guidelines, the UN report directly contradicts this.
Two Russia-born mining executives, Yuriy Tolmatchev and Alexander Konovalchik, also hold ownership in Boss Mining and own other companies that buy coltan supplied by the firm.
Tolmatchev stated Boss Mining does not purchase material from Congo, and Konovalchik asserted minerals are from Rwandan sources.
Rwanda’s government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, stated that the UN report “misrepresents Rwanda’s longstanding security concerns” regarding Hutu rebel groups threatening ethnic Tutsis in both Rwanda and Congo.
Conversely, DRC officials have repeatedly accused Rwanda of fueling the conflict to exploit Congo’s mineral wealth.
The confidential UN report indicates that as of April, Rwanda had at least 1,000 troops in Congo.
A recent U.S.-brokered peace agreement, signed on Friday, aims to facilitate the withdrawal of Rwandan troops, though it does not include M23.
A Reuters analysis of 2024 customs records revealed that Boss Mining exported at least 150 metric tons of coltan worth $6.6 million, accounting for 6.5% of Rwanda’s total coltan exports last year, making it the country’s sixth-largest exporter.
Boss Mining reportedly purchases coltan from Speck Minerals, another Rwandan company connected to Habimana, and other sellers.
The UN report further details how M23’s control over Rubaya allows them to maintain exclusive control over the mineral supply chain, making Rwanda “the sole transit market.”
The smuggled Congolese coltan is then mixed with Rwandan production before export, making its origin nearly untraceable.
The UN estimates M23 was collecting $800,000 monthly from taxes on coltan mining in eastern Congo, according to a December 2024 report.
Official statistics on Rwanda’s coltan production are considered unreliable, with experts suggesting Rwanda exports far more than it produces.
