Summary

Competition over mineral resources has long been intertwined with conflict, armed group financing and regional intervention in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This research examines how development, private sector, peacekeeping and diplomatic actors have sought to address the links between conflict minerals, illicit trade and violence, drawing on document review and interviews with practitioners, policymakers and UN officials. The findings suggest that responsible sourcing, traceability and certification initiatives have demonstrated that conflict-financing pathways can be reduced under the right conditions. However, insecurity, weak governance, limited political commitment and the regional nature of mineral supply chains have constrained their effectiveness. Peace operations brought valuable political, security and analytical tools that could complement development approaches, but these efforts were rarely prioritised or sustained at a scale capable of reshaping entrenched conflict economies. The research highlights the need for responses that address conflict economies as political and regional systems rather than as technical governance challenges alone.

Key Findings

• Responsible sourcing, traceability and certification initiatives have shown that coordinated development and private-sector approaches can limit armed groups’ ability to profit from conflict minerals when they are effectively designed and implemented.
• Implementation, security and governance constraints have prevented responsible sourcing initiatives from delivering their potential at scale. Their effectiveness depends on a minimum level of security, enforcement and political commitment that remains largely absent in eastern DRC and the wider region.
• Development gains do not automatically translate into conflict prevention. Formalisation, certification and validated exports can coexist with ongoing conflict financing as armed groups adapt by shifting to other sites, routes and supply chains.
• Peacekeeping missions supported mine site validation, governance reforms and efforts to disrupt armed group exploitation of natural resources, but these activities were rarely prioritised, sufficiently resourced or sustained enough to reshape broader conflict economies.
• Conflict economies are fundamentally political systems that distribute power, revenue and influence. Treating them primarily as technical governance or regulatory challenges has limited the impact of international responses.
• Regional conflict economies consistently outstrip State-based responses. Mineral supply chains, armed groups and commercial incentives operate across borders, while most peacebuilding, development and regulatory mechanisms remain organised within national jurisdictions.

Policy Implications

• Efforts to address conflict minerals are likely to be more effective when development, peace and security, governance and regulatory approaches are treated as mutually reinforcing rather than as separate tracks.
• Ceasefire and peace implementation processes in eastern DRC may need to address underlying conflict-financing systems directly, as previous military disengagement arrangements have struggled to produce durable peace while those systems remained intact.
• Where regional political economies are identified as major conflict drivers, peace operations may require clearer mandates, greater prioritisation and sufficient political support to engage with these dynamics effectively.
• Responsible sourcing and formalisation initiatives are more likely to gain traction when they address the practical realities facing miners and communities, including livelihood needs, access to markets and broader governance concerns.
• Regional certification, transparency and governance mechanisms can provide important foundations for reform, but their effectiveness depends on sustained cooperation, political commitment and implementation by governments across the region.
• Future peace interventions may need institutions and mechanisms capable of operating across regional political, security and economic systems, rather than through nationally bounded approaches alone.