Twenty-seven residents living near a Chinese-controlled copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo are seeking $6.3 million in damages, accusing its operator of environmental pollution and exposing surrounding communities to potential health risks.
- Twenty-seven Congolese residents have filed a $6.3 million lawsuit against COMMUS, a Chinese-controlled mining company.
- Scientific studies conducted by UK-based RAID and Congolese nonprofit AFREWATCH revealed high levels of particulate and water pollution around the mine site.
- The claimants, including eight children, are seeking $1.3 million for damages and $5 million for environmental restoration.
- COMMUS denies all allegations, attributing pollution to historic mining or natural geology, and has vowed to contest the case in court.
The lawsuit targets COMMUS, a mining company 67% owned by China’s Zijin Mining, with the Congolese state-owned Gecamines and the government holding minority stakes. The claimants accuse the company of contaminating local water sources and causing environmental damage through its mining operations.
According to UK-based corporate watchdog RAID and Congolese nonprofit AFREWATCH, which are supporting the lawsuit, scientific studies commissioned by the organisations found elevated particulate pollution and water contamination near the mine.
The claimants, including eight children, are demanding approximately $1.3 million for alleged harm and another $5 million to finance environmental restoration.
COMMUS has rejected the allegations and said it intends to contest the case. In July 2026, the company maintained that its operations complied with Congolese environmental regulations, suggesting that historical mining activities and natural geological conditions could explain some of the reported pollution.
The current lawsuit, filed at the Commercial Court in Kolwezi, also names the Congolese government and environmental regulator ACE, accusing them of failing to monitor the mine and enforce environmental standards.
Under Congo’s 2018 Mining Code, companies can be held liable for environmental damage unless they establish that the harm resulted from unrelated causes.
Previous mining pollution lawsuits
The case is not the first time Congolese communities have sought compensation from mining companies over environmental damage.
In 2014, a court in Kipushi ordered Compagnie Minière du Sud Katanga (CMSK), Gecamines and the Congolese government to pay $6,000 to victims who accused mining operations of contaminating the Kafubu River, damaging farmland and fish ponds, and killing fish. However, the victims’ lawyers argued that the award was inadequate.
In May 2023, residents of Kalongo and Mulomba near Kolwezi also sued Kalongwe Mining over alleged discharges of sulphuric acid and toxic waste into local waterways. As of March 2024, the case remained at the preliminary legal stage, with no final judgment or compensation figure reported.
Similar allegations have emerged elsewhere in Africa, including Zambia, Guinea and Zimbabwe, where Chinese-owned mining companies have faced accusations of environmental pollution, unsafe working conditions and the displacement of local communities.
