On 13 March 2025, Alphamin Resources (Alphamin) made the decision to halt mining and processing operations at its Bisie tin mine complex in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), due to the proximity of M23 rebels after their recent westward advancement.

On 30 January 2025, Project Blue analysed the M23 rebels’ progress toward Goma, the capital of North Kivu. The focus was the impact the advancement would have on coltan and tin exports (see https://projectblue.com/blue/news-analysis/1125/m23-rebel-advancement-to-impact-tin-and-tantalum-exports-). At that time, we expected the tin market not to be significantly impacted as Alphamin, a key tin producer in the DRC, had alternative tin transport routes to avoid such disruptions. However, on 13 March 2025, Alphamin’s board of directors made the decision to suspend mining operations. This decision followed the M23 rebels’ advance toward its Bisie tin mine complex, which is around 180km west of Goma.

Alphamin operates the Bisie tin mine complex, one of the largest tin mines in the world, consisting of the Mpama North and Mpama South mines. In 2024, Bisie produced 17.3kt of tin-in-concentrate, a 38% y-o-y increase attributed to the commencement of operations at the Mpama South mine in May 2024. Consequently, the DRC became the fourth-largest tin mine producer in the world.

Alphamin’s decision to suspend operations is considered precautionary and considers the safety of its workers. On 9 March, the M23 rebels occupied the town of Nyabiondo, the capital of the Osso-Banyungu sector, around 110km northwest of Goma, and on 12 March, the rebels took control of Kashebere, 13km west of Nyabiondo. Consequently, Alphamin evacuated all mining personnel from the site, keeping only essential staff in place for the care, maintenance, and security of the property.  The duration of the shutdown is unclear at this point. However, this temporary halt will add to existing supply pressures, potentially causing tin prices to rise. At the time of writing, the intraday LME three-month tin price breached US$35,000/t.