By: Ecofin agency

The Democratic Republic of Congo has revoked mining rights covering more than 12,000 square kilometers in several strategic provinces as authorities intensify efforts to clean up the national mining cadastre and regain control over underused resource assets.

The latest phase of the process targets vast mining areas previously held by Acacia and Kwango Mines.

According to a statement from the Mining Cadastre Office (CAMI) relayed on May 14, 2026 by the Congolese Press Agency (ACP), authorities stripped the two companies of their mining rights for failing to pay annual surface fees, in line with provisions of the country’s Mining Code and mining regulations.

The two companies jointly held 90 mining titles representing 15,029 mining blocks across Kwango, Kwilu, Maï-Ndombe, Kongo Central and Kasaï provinces. The affected area totals 12,767.5 square kilometers, exceeding the size of Kinshasa province-city.

Kwango Mines controlled 47 titles covering 5,282.5 square kilometers, while Acacia held 43 titles spanning 7,485 square kilometers. The permits covered minerals including gold, diamonds and bauxite.

The revoked assets form a broad mining corridor stretching from Kongo Central to Kasaï through several territories in Kwango province, notably Kahemba, Popokabaka and Kasongo-Lunda.

Authorities launched the cadastre clean-up campaign in 2023. CAMI said it has already recovered more than 50,000 square kilometers of mining areas over the past three years through audits focused on title compliance, payment of legal obligations and adherence to development deadlines.

Political Dimension

Authorities said they aim to recover permits held by inactive or non-compliant operators and make them available for new mining investment.

Before taking the decision, CAMI launched an alert procedure targeting the affected operators. In a statement published on April 16, 2026, the institution said its financial services had failed to trace several payments for 2026 annual surface fees as of April 10.

The Mining Cadastre Office granted the affected title holders 45 days to provide proof of payment or face revocation. Kwango Mines appeared explicitly on the list of companies concerned.

The case also carries political sensitivity. Previous investigations have linked Acacia and Kwango Mines to the family of former President Joseph Kabila.

In 2017, the Groupe d’Étude sur le Congo (GEC) published an investigation into business interests attributed to the Kabila family and cited links between certain mining companies and Jaynet Kabila, the twin sister of the former head of state. Subsequent reports by Deutsche Welle and other international media outlets also associated Acacia and Kwango Mines with that network of economic interests.

At this stage, however, the reviewed documents do not publicly establish the current ownership structure of the two companies.