Church leaders and activists from across Africa are calling for stronger protections for communities affected by mining, arguing that the continent’s growing role in the global energy transition is deepening long-standing concerns over land rights, environmental damage and unequal distribution of mineral wealth.
The call came during an Africa consultation on land, mining and justice organized in Botswana by the Council for World Mission and the World Council of Churches, where church leaders, theologians and community representatives discussed the social impact of extractive industries across the continent.
In a statement issued after the meeting last month, participants urged governments, mining companies and faith communities to strengthen environmental accountability, protect customary land rights and ensure communities give informed consent before mining projects begin.
The consultation comes as African countries increasingly occupy a central position in the global race for rare earth metals needed for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and digital technologies.
Countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa hold significant reserves of cobalt, lithium, copper and platinum group metals that are increasingly sought after by governments and multinational companies.
But church leaders at the Botswana meeting said mining communities often continue to bear the costs of extraction while receiving limited economic benefit.
“The exploitation of land and natural resources has left many communities displaced, impoverished and environmentally devastated,” the consultation said in its concluding declaration, according to the Council for World Mission report.
Participants also described land as more than an economic asset, saying many African communities understand it as sacred and tied to culture, ancestry and identity.
The concerns raised during the consultation mirror wider debates unfolding across Africa’s mining regions.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is one of the largest producers of cobalt, human rights organizations have repeatedly documented hazardous working conditions and child labor linked to artisanal mining operations.
A 2024 report by Humanium said thousands of children continue to work in dangerous mining conditions in southern Congo despite international scrutiny and corporate pledges to improve supply chains.
Cobalt from Congo is widely used in lithium-ion batteries found in smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles.
In Zambia, environmental concerns surrounding copper mining have continued to generate public debate, particularly over water pollution and the management of mining waste.
In Zimbabwe, rapid growth in lithium mining has triggered questions about whether local communities will meaningfully benefit from rising global demand for battery minerals.
Governments across Africa have increasingly promoted mining as a pathway to industrial growth, export earnings and job creation. Several countries have also introduced policies aimed at increasing local processing and limiting the export of raw minerals.
But civil society organizations and church groups argue that resource extraction has historically produced uneven outcomes across the continent.
The Botswana consultation included visits to communities affected by mining activities, where residents shared concerns about land access, environmental degradation and livelihoods disrupted by extractive projects.
Transparency and Justice
Church leaders said faith communities should play a stronger role in advocating for transparency and justice in the mining sector.
CWM Mission Secretary for Ecology and Economy Rev. Daimon Mkandawire facilitated the consultation.
“What we are confronting is not only an environmental crisis, but a theological one,” he said. He explained that extractive practices often treat land as a commodity, while many African communities understand land as the source of life and identity lived under a bond founded on sacred trust.
A 2025 report by the International Energy Agency warned that global competition for critical minerals is intensifying as countries seek supplies needed for electric vehicles, battery storage and renewable energy technologies.
The United States, China and European countries have all increased efforts to secure access to critical minerals viewed as essential for future energy and technology industries.
That demand has elevated Africa’s strategic importance while also reviving concerns about whether the continent risks repeating patterns established during earlier eras of resource extraction.
The Botswana consultation urged African churches to strengthen cooperation with Indigenous communities, civil society organizations and affected residents to advocate for what organizers described as “life-affirming alternatives” to destructive forms of extraction.
Participants also called for mining revenues to be shared more equitably and for stronger legal protections for communities displaced by large-scale projects.
The consultation did not reject mining outright. Instead, participants argued that extraction should prioritize human dignity, environmental protection and long-term community welfare.
For many of the church leaders gathered in Botswana, the issue extends beyond economics or environmental policy.
It is also a moral question about who benefits from Africa’s natural wealth and who bears the consequences of extracting it.
