Rwanda National Police

Police have arrested an illegal mineral dealer in Mwendo Sector, Ruhango District with 108 kilogrammes of coltan and cassiterite.

Philippe Rutazihana, 74, who is not a licenced mineral dealer, was conniving with casual labourers in mining concessions to steal and buy the minerals from them, Police said.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Sylvestre Twajamahoro, the Police spokesperson for the Southern region, said that Rutazihana had been previously reported among the major illegal mineral dealers in Ruhango.

“When residents reported the unlawful mineral business and named Rutazihana, who guises himself as Ntaganda, among the main characters, Police went to his home where they recovered 108kgs of coltan and cassiterite. He was immediately taken into custody and handed over to RIB at Byimana station,” said CIP Twajamahoro.

Rutazihana admitted that he buys the minerals from casual miners in Mwendo and Byimana concessions.

CIP Twajamahoro warned that illegal mineral traders fuel mineral theft and illegal mining activities.

“Arresting traders helps to fight mineral theft and illegal mining activities, which in some cases turn fatal. We continue to urge the public to report individuals engaged in any illegal mineral-related business

Article 3 of the ministerial regulations on fighting smuggling in mineral trading, forbids “importation of minerals into Rwanda without proper documents indicating their origin and the weight at origin, given by the right authorities.”

These minerals have to be with required trade documents, and to be certified and tagged by competent authorities.

Equally, article 4 provides that transportation of minerals outside mining licensed areas—concessions and permits perimeters—is only allowed, when the consignment shows the source mine, its value and when it has the right tag.

Article 54 of the law on mining and quarry operations, states that; “any person, who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing or trading without a licence commits an offence.”

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.    

The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a licence