Lualaba-Mines: Louis Watum reopens Musompo trading center amid ongoing discontent among artisanal miners

Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba relaunched operations at the Musompo trading center in Kolwezi on October 26, with a first truck weighed and mineral sampling and analysis operations begun. Inaugurated in 2023, the center had remained inactive despite a nominal capacity of 250 trucks a day, and technical difficulties persist. The reopening comes after more than a week of protests by artisanal miners, who say controls are making it harder to sell their minerals and are demanding the effective implementation of artisanal mining zones. Watum called for daily monitoring of the facilities and sustainable site management to support more transparent mineral sales.