The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia have been identified as the leading African countries for human rights abuses linked to mineral mining between 2010 and 2024, according to a newly released report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Center, based in London.
The report reveals that copper mining, a key economic activity in both nations and a critical resource for global energy transition technologies, accounted for the bulk of the documented abuses. The violations cited include threats, harassment, physical assault, and arbitrary detention.
Together with Guinea, DRC and Zambia were responsible for 40% of all reported mining-related fatalities worldwide in 2024 alone.
The organisation cautioned that the accelerating global demand for critical minerals—driven by the push for cleaner energy—risks intensifying exploitation in fragile communities if left unregulated. It warned that such “unchecked extraction” could lead to widespread human rights violations, environmental degradation, and worsening social inequality.
