Ebola in DRC: Resource Matters withdraws from DRC Mining Week 2026

Kinshasa, June 16^th, 2026 (CPA). – The non-governmental organization Resource Matters announced on Monday that it was withdrawing from DRC Mining Week 2026, the mining conference scheduled to take place in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga Province in south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for health precautionary reasons related to the Ebola outbreak affecting certain eastern provinces of the country, according to a statement consulted on Tuesday. “We regret to announce that, as a health precaution, Resource Matters will not participate in the 2026 edition of DRC Mining Week, a key event for the Congolese mining sector scheduled to be held in Lubumbashi,” the statement read. According to the document, Resource Matters acknowledged that no Ebola cases have been reported in Lubumbashi, the host city of the event. However, the organization said the decision was taken to protect its staff, partners and all participants. It also thanked the organizers “for their understanding and for agreeing to postpone its participation until next year.” The NGO’s absence will leave a gap in discussions on key mining issues. Resource Matters had planned to engage with the Congolese Government on several strategic topics, including a national vision for critical minerals and their local processing, mapping the cobalt supply chain to promote due diligence, sustainable electrification initiatives with investors, and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) pollution at the TFM mining site, an issue championed by civil society organizations.Despite its physical withdrawal, the source noted that Resource Matters will “follow the discussions of DRC Mining Week remotely.” The organization reaffirmed its commitment to “promoting an ethical mining sector that serves sustainable development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the well-being of its people, and a just and equitable global energy transition.”ACP/