Rwanda: Govt Publishes List of Top 10 Ready-to-Mine Blocks

7 May 2025
The New Times (Kigali)
By Michel Nkurunziza

The Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) has released a Mining Investment Pitchbook highlighting mining investment opportunities in Rwanda.

It features 10 ready-to-invest mining blocks, each accompanied by geological data tailored to responsible investment.

According to RMB, the 10 blocks are designated for "immediate mineral extraction."

"These blocks are for mineral extraction, not exploration. There is nothing like this at the moment. We publish information whenever we identify blocks with mining potential and there is market demand," Francis Kamanzi, Chief Executive Officer of RMB told The New Times.

ALSO READ: RDB unveils mineral reserves seeking investors for value addition

Below are the 10 blocks on 13,454 hectares outlined for potential investors.

1. Binyeri Block - 50 ha

Located 6 km east of the Kayenzi area in Rukoma Sector, Kamonyi District, Southern Province, this area contains quartzite layers and rocks with high concentrations of rare metals.

Pegmatite fields, often rich in valuable minerals (especially rare metals), extend from Ruli-Kayenzi and are confirmed to host cassiterite and columbite-tantalite.

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It is surrounded by previously sites and active licences for cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, lithium, and beryllium minerals.

2. Juru Block - 1,354 ha

Situated in Juru Sector, Bugesera District, this area contains 3T minerals (tungsten, tantalum, and tin), mainly found in epithermal deposits, with tin being the most common.

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A geophysical survey estimates approximately 52,998 tonnes of tin (cassiterite) in the area.

3. Mamfu-Rwasama Block - 1,300 ha

Previously part of the Bugarura-Kuruti concession in Gatsibo District, this area is rich in tin and tungsten, with the presence of cassiterite, wolframite, muscovite, sericite, tourmaline, zircon, and quartz.

4. Musenyi Block - 1,000 ha

According to Beak Consultants, tin-rich rocks are widely distributed in this area.

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However, production remains low, with only 80 tonnes of combined columbite-tantalite and cassiterite concentrate produced--containing around 4 tonnes of tantalum and 35 tonnes of tin.

5. Remera Block - 4,025 ha

This site, part of the former Bugarura-Kuluti mining zone, hosts pegmatite and quartz veins rich in cassiterite beneath 10 metres of soil.

These veins can reach 30-40 metres thick, stretch up to 200 metres, and contain up to 10 kg of cassiterite per cubic metre.

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By 1985, it had yielded about 4,488 tonnes, mostly from surface deposits. In 2018, RMB also identified high-grade iron ore in Gicumbi, Nyagatare, and Gatsibo Districts, notably in Kaniga, Gatunda, and Kiyombe.

6. Rubiha Block - 450 ha

Once part of the Luna mining concession, this area lies between Rugarama, Rwimbogo, and Gitoki Sectors in Gatsibo District.

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It is rich in tin, with minerals located in quartz veins that extend in multiple directions over an area measuring approximately 1,350 by 500 metres.

Rock analyses show that the cassiterite formed from late-stage, gas-rich fluids after magma solidified.The cassiterite here is highly pure, with a tin oxide content of 90.5% to 99.08%.

There is strong potential for both cassiterite and columbite-tantalite.

7. Rubona-Gatunda Block - 925 ha

This block was part of the former LUNA Smelter's mining area. It is located between Kiramuruzi and Kiziguro Sectors in Gatsibo District and Rukara Sector in Kayonza District.

The area has strong tin potential and includes the full Bugarura concession, with promising cassiterite and columbite-tantalite deposits.

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Surveys conducted include geological mapping, geophysical analysis, and petrographic studies. The cassiterite is associated with late-stage, gas- and water-rich fluids.

This block has a historical record of tin mining.

8. Rugarama Block - 2,175 ha

This area, located between the Rwamagana and northeastern granite formations, includes Nyabugogo, Bulimbi, Nduba, and Rukomo metasedimentary rocks within the structurally complex Byumba synclinorium.

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Granite and pegmatite intrusions are common, especially in Kuluti, which is surrounded by schist and thick conglomerate. The region hosts minerals like rose feldspar, biotite, muscovite, and large pegmatites.

In Bugarura-Mamfu, tin-rich surface deposits lie beneath 50-60 metres of laterite, with two major quartz vein systems. While Kuluti's biotite zone is non-mineralised, tourmaline-sericite schists may hold tapiolite and columbite-tantalite.

9. Rweru Block - 875 ha

This block holds strong potential for tin, niobium-tantalum, tungsten, rare earths, and other strategic minerals. Key rock types in the area support rare metal formation, particularly in pegmatite fields near the Bugesera and Mugesera granites.

ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda's Tungsten mine which is the leading producer in Africa

Sampling revealed high levels of niobium, tantalum, tin, tungsten, gold, lithium, lead, and arsenic. Of 21 hard rock and 91 soil samples, many confirmed elevated concentrations.

Estimated reserves include 777 tonnes of cassiterite and coltan.

The Bugesera-Nkanga area, near the Burundi border, hosts seven mineralised quartz veins rich in cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, and wolframite.

10.Rweru-Kimvubu Block - 1,300 ha

This area contains niobium, tin, and tungsten, with geological conditions conducive to rare metal formation.

Elevated thorium levels in the southwest suggest the presence of rare earth elements.

Pegmatite fields linked to the Mugesera and Bugesera granites contain tin and niobium-tantalum.

Analysis of 147 stream sediment and 92 slope samples confirms significant mineral concentrations.

Jean Malic Kalima, a wolfram and mineral investor, welcomed Rwanda's new mining investment guide, saying it simplifies business by allowing immediate extraction without lengthy exploration.

"This is a commendable step to support investors," he said.

André Musabyimana of Cooperative Duhuzimbaraga Nyamasheke, which extracts coltan and cassiterite, emphasized the need for transparency in concession bidding following the mapping of mining blocks.

"We aim to expand our operations, and the guide helps access mineral-rich blocks. But transparency in allocation must improve," he noted. He also stressed that exploration demands significant time and capital, making the guide a timely tool.

Site visits to the listed blocks are scheduled for May 27-29.

Read the original article on New Times.

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