Ever since the ongoing commodity slump rippled out to all corners of Africa, which is home to some of the world's richest metals deposits, thousands of miners have been fearing for their future, particularly in the Congo.

Glencore's recently announced plan to rescue the company, which includes halting operations at mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, has dealt a major blow to Africa’s top two copper producing countries.

From Australia to Chile, Indonesia to the Copperbelt, the pain of China's sharp economic slowdown is being felt in the form of depressed commodity prices, mines shutdowns and a resulting elevated unemployment.

“Blood minerals” are extracted during armed conflicts or in cases of human rights violations, particularly in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Zambia approved mid-April a proposal to drop a recent and controversial hike in mining royalties and it is returning to a tax system based on profit in a fresh effort to try solving a six-month standoff with miners over the increase.

For two years starting on 1st September, the Democratic Republic of Congo is to take the presidency of the MIASA! Mining & Business Magazine meet with Simon Tuma Waku, president of the Chamber of Mines.