African workers, under the umbrella of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), have declared unwavering solidarity with Congolese workers following the deadly mine collapse at Rubaya in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They described the incident as “not merely a tragedy” but “a preventable massacre of workers, driven by greed, exploitation, and total disregard for human life and dignity.”
In a statement signed by Akhator Joel Odigie, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, the Pan-African Labour Confederation said it “expresses its profound grief following the catastrophic mine collapse at Rubaya, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on 28 January 2026, which has claimed over 400 lives.” The statement rooted that the scale of loss reflects systemic abuse rather than an unavoidable accident.
The organisation declared that it “stands in unwavering solidarity with the families who have lost their loved ones in this horrific disaster”, while also standing “with the mining communities of Rubaya, who are forced to live and work in conditions of extreme danger”. According to the statement, the tragedy highlights the daily reality faced by workers in the extractive sector across the continent.
ITUC-Africa further affirmed that “our solidarity stands with our trade union comrades in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who struggle daily to defend workers’ rights and safety, and with all workers in the extractive industries across Africa who continue to face similar forms of exploitation.”
Condemning the structural causes of the collapse, the organisation stated that “decades of poor mining practices and the deliberate neglect of safety standards created the conditions for this disaster.”
It added that the “brutal exploitation of artisanal miners compelled them to work in hand-dug tunnels without basic safety protections or oversight.”
It also denounced the “profiteering from coltan extraction while workers labour in deadly conditions”, as well as “armed groups that extort and control mining operations while workers die underground,” and “international supply chains that continue to benefit from minerals extracted at the cost of African lives”.
According to ITUC-Africa, the Rubaya disaster “exposes the brutal reality of resource extraction in Africa: our continent’s wealth is extracted while our workers die in conditions that would be unthinkable elsewhere.”
The statement warned that the “global economy cannot continue to be built on the graves of African workers.”
The organisation insisted on “an immediate, independent investigation into the collapse and full accountability for all those responsible”, alongside “emergency assistance and comprehensive compensation for the victims’ families”. It stressed the need for “the urgent enforcement of safety standards and regular inspections at all mining sites,” and called for “a complete end to armed group control of mining operations”. ”.
ITUC-Africa also reaffirmed labour rights as central to preventing future disasters, demanding “full recognition and protection of miners’ rights to organise and bargain collectively”, as well as “fair wages and decent working conditions for all miners”. It urged “concrete action by international electronics and technology companies to ensure their supply chains are free from exploitation, violence, and unsafe labour.”
Emphasising the human cost behind mineral extraction, the statement declared that “workers’ lives are not expendable”, adding that “every worker has the right to return home safely at the end of the working day” and that “every miner has the right to conditions that protect their life and health.”
In its concluding call, ITUC-Africa said it “calls on the Government of the DRC, the African Union, international organisations, and global supply-chain actors to take immediate action to prevent such tragedies and to ensure that mining in Africa respects workers’ rights and lives.” By Christian Appolos, Nigerian Tribune
