Gold smuggling from DRC's Ituri province to Uganda on the rise, says UN

Gold smuggling from DR Congo to Uganda is on the rise, according to a new United Nations report.

Experts assessing the situation in the DRC for sanctions review pointed to discrepancies between Uganda’s stated gold production and its export levels in 2025.

Last year, Uganda declared a record 62 tonnes of gold exports, valued at 6.4 billion dollars. But the country’s gold production fell far short of that amount.

Authors of the UN report say the difference is made up by gold smuggled in from the DRC’s Ituri province.

Gold exports from the conflict-affected region officially stood at just over half a tonne for 2025, despite a surge in production.

Gold extracted in areas of Ituri controlled by rebel groups is subject to sanctions over concerns it is illegally mined and exploiting conflict in the region.

Last week, the US sanctioned a Rwandan refinery accused of processing gold illegally extracted in eastern DRC.