A confidential United Nations report has named Rwandan company Boss Mining Solution as a buyer of minerals smuggled from rebel-held areas of eastern Congo.
The report marks the first time the U.N. has publicly linked a company to the illicit trade financing the M23 insurgency in Congo.
M23 rebels seized key mining territory in Congo last year, destabilizing a region already ravaged by decades of conflict.
The armed group, backed by Rwanda, has been accused of plundering Congo’s mineral wealth and committing atrocities against civilians.
Illegal mining and smuggling to Rwanda have surged to unprecedented levels, the U.N. report says, with Boss Mining identified among key purchasers.
The company’s operations are led by Eddy Habimana, previously linked to mineral smuggling by U.N. investigators a decade ago.
Rwanda denies involvement, framing its military presence as a defense against Hutu rebels threatening ethnic Tutsis in the region.
Boss Mining reportedly exported over 150 metric tons of coltan in 2024, despite Rwanda’s limited domestic production of the ore.
Coltan from Congo’s Rubaya mines, producing 15% of the world’s supply, is smuggled through border towns controlled by M23 into Rwanda.
The minerals are blended with Rwandan production before export, obscuring their origin and fueling global supply chains.
Two Russian-born executives also hold stakes in Boss Mining, connected through complex corporate networks spanning Rwanda, Cyprus, and the UAE.
Rwanda and Congo recently signed a U.S.-brokered peace deal to withdraw troops, but M23 remains outside the agreement.
The conflict’s resolution hinges on separate mediation efforts involving the rebel group, which continues to control mineral-rich areas.
This report sheds light on a murky trade that underpins conflict, threatens regional stability, and impacts global industries dependent on these critical minerals.