UK-based social enterprise PeaceGold says it is preparing to begin its first gold exports from the conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by September, despite ongoing insecurity and disruptions in the region’s artisanal mining sector.
The organisation, founded in 2013 in partnership with the Conflict Resolution Center, was established to formalise artisanal mining operations and support the reintegration of former combatants into regulated economic activity, particularly gold mining, as a pathway to reducing conflict.
PeaceGold founder Greg Valerio said the initiative currently works with about 11 artisanal mining cooperatives in Ituri Province, representing nearly 25,000 miners and support workers. The project aims to provide a structured alternative to what is widely regarded as a largely informal and illicit gold supply chain in the country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is believed to lose more than half of its artisanal gold output annually through smuggling networks, a challenge PeaceGold says it is trying to address by introducing traceability and formal market access.
Valerio noted that renewed violence in eastern Congo last year, including offensives linked to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and other armed groups, disrupted mining activities in some areas and forced temporary suspension of operations in certain cooperatives. However, he said most of PeaceGold’s partner sites were not directly overrun.
The United Nations has reported that the conflict in eastern Congo killed thousands and further destabilised mining communities, complicating efforts to formalise the sector.
While PeaceGold operates with strong backing from mining cooperatives and development actors, Valerio explained that its nonprofit structure prevents it from directly trading gold. The organisation is therefore transitioning toward a commercial model ahead of its planned export phase.
The group is currently finalising regulatory approvals and operational systems required for international trade, including securing working capital from a UK-based financial partner that will fund gold purchases directly at mine sites.
Initial exports are expected to begin at modest levels, with output projected to reach around 50 kilograms per month by the third year of operations. PeaceGold says it intends to keep up to 80 percent of generated value within Congo, supporting local miners, infrastructure development, and compliance systems.
Valerio said the initiative addresses structural weaknesses in the sector rather than resource scarcity, stating: “Congo doesn’t have a gold problem – it has a systems problem, and we are trying to fix that.”
The project reflects growing international efforts to formalise artisanal mining in conflict zones and reduce the flow of illegally traded minerals into global markets.
