Kolwezi gradually returns to calm after two days of artisanal miners’ protests

Several neighborhoods in Kolwezi gradually returned to calm on Wednesday, October 21, after two days of violent protests by artisanal miners. The demonstrations were sparked by an inspection operation conducted by an interagency commission from Kinshasa and disrupted economic and social activities, leaving several people injured; shops were looted, vehicles vandalized, and a police substation was burned, allowing detainees to escape. Schools were also disrupted and roads barricaded. Lualaba Governor Fifi Masuka urged the miners to remain calm and said no processing plants had been closed; the commission said its mission was intended to improve conditions in the mining sector, not suspend operations.