A general view of the Kamituga artisanal gold mine, in the South Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on September 20, 2024. At Kamituga, a town some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Kitutu, gold mining is in full throttle. In one site mined by Congolese cooperative Mwenga Force, some 400 people delve into vast open pits hoping to make a few dollars a day. Artisanal mining is small-scale mining, carried out by individuals without big machinery and not employed by big businesses. Hundreds of foreign companies, most of which are Chinese owned, mine gold in the mineral-rich province often without permits and without declaring profits, according to local authorities. (Photo by Glody MURHABAZI / AFP) (Photo by GLODY MURHABAZI/AFP via Getty Images)