DR Congo’s mining boom is intensifying pressure on community forests, raising fears of land dispossession and environmental damage as mineral demand accelerates.
In Likasi, forest rangers say encroachment has become more frequent, driven by powerful actors seeking to clear forested land for mining-related activities. Corneille Makonga, a local ranger, recounts an incident in which a well-connected individual arrived with heavy machinery, claiming to have legally purchased a community forest. Villagers, however, held official documents proving collective ownership, pointing to what Makonga described as a clear attempt at land grabbing.
The situation reflects a wider pattern unfolding across the Democratic Republic of Congo, where soaring global demand for copper, cobalt and other strategic minerals has fuelled rapid expansion of mining operations. While the boom has boosted export revenues and attracted foreign investment, it has also placed community-managed forests under increasing threat.
Community forests, legally recognised in DR Congo, are meant to protect local livelihoods, biodiversity and traditional land rights. Environmental groups warn that weak enforcement, corruption and overlapping land titles have left these areas vulnerable to illegal acquisition. In many cases, communities lack the resources or political influence to challenge claims backed by money and heavy equipment.
Local leaders in Haut-Katanga province say disputes over forest land are becoming more confrontational, with mining interests often prioritised over conservation and community consent. Rangers report intimidation and pressure to stand aside, even when legal documentation favours villagers.
Civil society organisations are urging the government to strengthen protections for community forests and ensure that mining permits do not override existing land rights. They argue that without stricter oversight, the mining boom risks accelerating deforestation, undermining rural livelihoods and fuelling local conflict.
As DR Congo positions itself as a key supplier in the global energy transition, communities like those in Likasi are caught between national economic ambitions and the fight to protect forests they legally own and depend on for survival.
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