U.S. Sanctions Hong Kong Firms Over Illegal Mining in the DR Congo

M23 soldiers stand at the mining pits in Rubaya in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on March 5, 2025. (Photo by Camille Laffont / AFP)

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed penalties on a pair of Hong Kong-based companies for “destabilizing activities in the DRC” that involved the purchase of illegally sourced minerals.

The companies were allegedly operating in an area near the far eastern city of Rubaya, a region with abundant reserves of tantalum ore that’s used to manufacture electronics.

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by Eric Olander

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