By: OrePulse

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo detained roughly 300 Chinese nationals in the Kolwezi copper belt over the past week, according to people familiar with the matter, as part of an enforcement operation targeting illegal mining on concessions held by other companies.

Security Council agents and immigration officers of the Democratic Republic of Congo were responsible for the operation, the people said. Most of those held were picked up in and around Kolwezi, a major hub of the country's copper-mining industry.

The Chinese embassy in Kinshasa subsequently stepped in on behalf of the detained workers, and part of that group has already been freed, the people familiar with the matter said. The number still in custody, and the terms under which others were released, were not detailed in the available accounts.

The Chinese embassy did not answer requests for comment, nor did the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining ministry, immigration authority or presidency respond to inquiries about the arrests.

Those detained were accused of taking part in illegal mining on concessions licensed to companies other than their own employers, according to people familiar with the matter. No further detail was available on which concessions were affected, how the workers came to be operating there, or whether any of those held face formal charges.

The arrests come as Chinese capital continues to anchor the expansion of the Democratic Republic of Congo's copper industry. Copper production in the country has climbed roughly threefold since 2015, a rise fueled largely by that investment, pushing the nation past Peru into the number-two spot among global copper producers; Chinese companies account for a large share of the country's total output.

That growth has been accompanied by recurring episodes of unauthorized artisanal mining on concessions held by international investors, a persistent source of friction in the sector.

Neither Congolese authorities nor the Chinese embassy has indicated whether further detentions or releases are expected, and no timeline has been given for resolving the remaining cases. The copper belt around Kolwezi remained central to the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining economy and to the broader global supply chain that made the country one of the world's top sources of copper.