Between November 3 and 5, 2025, a containment dam at Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM) failed, releasing industrial effluents and "several million cubic meters of electrolytes" into multiple neighborhoods of Lubumbashi. The spill flooded hundreds of homes in Kasapa, Kamisepe, and Kamatete, contaminated well water, and caused fish deaths, prompting residents to flee. CDM, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Industry Co., Ltd., was identified as the operator of the waste basin that failed. Early assessments by the government-commissioned OCC found water heavily contaminated with lead, arsenic, and other toxins, alongside biodiversity loss. Environmentalists and prior NGO reports also documented long-standing pollution issues linked to CDM facilities.
DR Congo's Mines Minister Louis Watum issued criticisms on CDM, stating that the company's waste storage and processing facilities "do not meet any international standards." He cited the absence of watertight barriers, lack of structural stability, missing control devices, and the absence of an emergency plan, which were confirmed from an on-site inspection on November 6 after the leakage incident. The minister suspended CDM's operations for three months starting November 6, 2025, ordering the company to maintain employee salaries, repair environmental damage, compensate affected residents, and pay legal penalties. A technical commission was established to identify the exact causes of the incident and assign responsibility, including within state oversight bodies.
The Business and Human Rights Resource Center reached out to Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Industry Co., Ltd. to comment on the reported incident. The company did not respond.