Iran War Exposes North Kivu Gold Trade’s Gulf Dependence

The war in Iran is now reverberating through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where traders in North Kivu say the disruption of Dubai-linked transactions has sharply weakened the local gold trade. In Butembo, one of the region’s main trading hubs, operators told ACTUALITE.CD that cash flows tied to buyers and commercial partners in Dubai have slowed since the conflict escalated, leaving some buying offices short of liquidity and forcing purchases on credit.

According to the report, the shock is being felt far beyond trading counters. In Manguredjipa, a representative of the Mahoho Cooperative Mining said the local price paid for a gram of gold had fallen from about $178-$180 before the war to roughly $90-$100, even as international gold prices remain elevated.

That gap points to a local market breakdown driven less by the global benchmark than by the collapse of financing and movement in the regional supply chain. Bloomberg has separately reported that war-related disruption has left gold stranded in Dubai, with flights grounded, insurance costs rising and buyers stepping back from new orders.

The North Kivu case also highlights a wider strategic vulnerability: eastern DRC’s artisanal gold economy remains heavily dependent on Gulf-linked export and cash networks. Traders said Dubai is the main destination for much of the gold handled through Butembo, while even Kampala was described as lacking liquidity.

At the same time, the broader Gulf transport environment has deteriorated as the Iran war spreads pressure across aviation and shipping routes, adding to the strain on cross-border commerce. In that sense, what appears to be a distant Middle East war is also exposing how fragile regional mineral trade channels remain for communities in eastern Congo that rely on artisanal mining for survival.

Source: ACTUALITE.CD