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The deaths of 43 illegal miners at a Glencore facility in Congo last week highlighted a growing challenge for mining companies struggling to secure sites from small-scale prospectors digging for cobalt, copper and other minerals.
Only part of the perimeter, which abuts densely-populated residential areas, is protected by fencing. Young men can often be seen just outside the mine carrying shovels and sacks brimming with freshly-mined ore to nearby trading depots dominated by Chinese buyers.
Private contractors provide most of the security, but activists say they are often ineffective and easily bought off by the miners in exchange for ignoring trespassers.
About 2,000 illegal miners regularly access the site, Glencore said.
About 2,000 illegal miners regularly access the site, Glencore said.
Congo's military plans to deploy troops to the KCC site, as it did in late June when it sent hundreds of soldiers to protect the Tenke copper and cobalt mine, which is owned by China Molybdenum Co Ltd. 
Sibanye-Stillwater, which spent millions upgrading its security infrastructure, found almost 1,400 zama-zamas in its Cooke gold mine during a 2017 security sweep.
