Article. Different faces of access control

Together with Klara Claessens I published an article on Mukungwe mine: “Different faces of access control in a Congolese gold mine“, in Third World Thematics.

Abstract: Mukungwe is a gold mine in eastern DRC, where mineral resources are commonly labelled ‘conflict minerals’. Although Mukungwe’s history has been characterised by conflict, we do not analyse the conflict here as a mere example of a mineral resource conflict. This article offers a more contextual understanding, starting from a detailed ethnographic and historical account and inspired by the literature on access control. In this sense, violence is understood as but one of the mechanisms of access control. Based on ethnographic and archival research, this article offers insights into the narratives and practices of the conflict’s key players.

SaraGeenen