A case of illegal gold mining in DR Congo's South Kivu province has led to unprecedented legal action and public protests. The events unfolded in January 2025, when authorities arrested three Chinese nationals with gold bars and $800,000 in cash, amid concerns about widespread unauthorised mining.

The arrests sparked demonstrations by hundreds of local residents, pro-democracy movements and trade unions calling for better oversight of mineral resources.

In a landmark ruling, a Congolese court sentenced the three Chinese nationals to seven years in prison and fined them US$600,000 for illegal mineral exploitation, marking the first such conviction of foreign mineral brokers in the country.