Bisie
Coordinates: 1°2′S 27°44′E / 1.033°S 27.733°E
Bisie is a tin deposit in the Walikale territory, province of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), although the name has also been used to include the nearby village of Manoire. It used to be an illegal source of an estimated 15,000 tons of tin, or 4% of global production. At the present time, artisanal activity has been suspended, and Alphamin Resources Corp., a Mauritius-based exploration company, is leading an exploration program on the site.
Bisie was established following the discovery of cassiterite by a hunter, which led to a frenzy. Following the Second Congo War, the Mai Mai - allied militia in the area was to form the 85th brigade of the national army and receive training and evenly deployed throughout the DRC. The militia refused, and under the leadership of Colonel Samy Matumo, the production and transport of tin, and the economy of Bisie, and the nearby Manoire village, was largely controlled by the renegade militia. It is estimated that production of tin was as high as $100 million a yearm, and that the militia extorted $300–600,000 a month in illegal taxation on everything from transport into the mine, to mud huts ($50 a month), and sales taxes ($20 a week from small peddlers).
Tin was mined by hand through open cast mining, and put in bags that weigh in excess of 110 pounds, and dropped off at a central location, where it was transported on foot by individuals for over 30 miles, typically over 2 days. From there it was driven to the village of Kilambo, where it was transported via Soviet-style cargo planes to Goma, where it was sold to international dealers, such as Malaysia Smelting Corporation. The militia controlled the entire area, only allowing people who pay their taxes. While Mining and Processing Congo (MPC), a consortium of British and South African investors, bought rights in 2006, the militia thwarted any attempt by them to arrive in the area, having in the past shot and injured people who came to the area in association with the company. After being forced to evacuate, MPC applied for Force Majeure, which was granted on 26 March 2009.
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