US envoy sees Alphamin reopening DRC tin mine as rebels depart

9th April 2025 By: Bloomberg

US envoy sees Alphamin reopening DRC tin mine as rebels depart

Alphamin Resources could soon resume operations at one of the world’s biggest tin mines located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after Rwanda-backed rebels withdrew from the area, a top US official said.

“We hope that the company will resume or make some announcement soon with regards to resuming their operations,” Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, told reporters Tuesday in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. “We definitely encourage them to resume their operations.”

Toronto-listed Alphamin halted mining last month at its Bisie mine to protect its employees as M23 rebels neared the site. The group has since retreated amid pressure from the US and others.

“We’ve seen the progress made in recent days and that’s excellent,” Boulos said.

Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany, has been touring Central and East Africa in a bid by the US to help Congo, Rwanda and other neighbors bring peace to the mineral-rich region with a long history of conflict.

Alphamin is majority-owned by US and UK-based Denham Capital and is one of the few US-linked projects in the country.

“It’s very sad to see such a large operation employing thousands of people and enriching the community and the country in which it operates, including other neighboring countries, shut down their operation,” Boulos said.

Alphamin did not answer calls or immediately respond to an email by Bloomberg News Tuesday.

The Bisie site produced 17 300 t of tin ore in 2024, or about 6% of global supply, according to the Chinese brokerage First Futures Co.

Alphamin stock is up 27% since it announced the suspension of activities March 13, and traded at C$0.59 a share as of 3:59 pm in Toronto. It reached a 1-year high of C$1.31 n October 21.