Rwanda Lawmakers Call for Lasting Solution to Illegal Mining

The concerns were raised after the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security presented a report to lawmakers examining cases of mineral theft and illegal mining activities across the country.

Committee chairperson Hope Gasatura Tumukunde said police and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau reported receiving 1,335 case files related to illegal mining between 2020 and 2025.

She said illegal mining activities often take place in private farmland, rivers, state forests and abandoned mining pits, as well as in areas near licensed mining sites.

“These activities destroy farmers’ land and damage the environment,” Tumukunde told lawmakers.

The report identified several factors driving illegal mining, including rising global demand for minerals, illegal mineral trading networks and local communities’ traditional knowledge of mineral deposits. Some activities also occur near legally licensed mining areas.

Tumukunde said other contributing factors include unprotected abandoned mines, old pits that were never rehabilitated, and cooperation between some licensed operators and illegal miners.

She added that school dropouts and unemployed youth are also drawn to illegal mining by the prospect of quick income.

The report further highlighted weaknesses in the sector, including insufficient security personnel at mining sites, minerals found close to residential areas, and alleged involvement of some local leaders. In some cases, former employees of companies that lost mining licenses continued operating in abandoned sites that had not yet been reassigned.

Lawmakers also noted that illegal miners often find buyers for their minerals, sometimes through intermediaries linked to licensed companies.

According to the report, 53% of mining companies pay workers based on production output, and some do not fully use the government’s Inkomane Mining Information System (IMS) designed to monitor mining operations.

Members of parliament proposed several measures to address the problem, including stricter enforcement against illegal miners, stronger security at mining sites and faster issuance of mining licenses.

They also suggested establishing a Mining Chamber within the Private Sector Federation to better organize and regulate actors in the industry.

Lawmakers warned that unrehabilitated mining pits pose serious safety risks, including landslides, accidents and deaths. Authorities recorded 994 unreclaimed mining pits nationwide.

Parliament requested the Ministry of Local Government to outline measures to strengthen district-level mining task forces responsible for monitoring mining activities.

It also asked the Rwanda Development Board to speed up licensing procedures, improve oversight of contracts between the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board and mining companies, regulate subcontractors and ensure full use of the Inkomane monitoring system.