Luhihi Mountain in Congo’s South Kivo province is currently the scene of a gold rush, with some reports stating that the mountain is 60-90% gold. News of the mountain of gold caused hundreds of people to flock to the area with picks and shovels and a lot of ambition.
Melees erupted as masses of people worked up a frenzy to strike it rich with a handful of the precious metal. In turn, their actions caused the government to issue a decree banning mining on the mountain until new rules could be established, “Not only to protect lives but also to guarantee the traceability of the gold produced in accordance with Congolese law.”
The minister assured citizens that the suspension was made in order to identify the miners and ensure that they are registered with the regulators. “Traders, miners, and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) must abandon the Luhihi mines and are prohibited from mining until further notice,” said the decree.
The discovery of the mound of gold ore is perhaps as significant for Congo as was the discovery of the Silver ore in Potosi, current-day Bolivia, in the 1500s, say mining analysts. The silver mountain made the former Inca hamlet the economic center of the world and transformed it into the wealthiest and most powerful city in the world at the time.
By Milan Sime Martinic