Mongbwalu

Mongbwalu is a small town in the Djugu Territory of the Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

==History== Before the Belgians arrived in the region the local Banyali people used gold to make jewellery, but otherwise did not see the metal as commercially valuable. The Belgians found gold about from Mongbwalu in 1903 and began commercial exploitation of Kilo-Moto gold resources in 1905. From 1926 to 1966, mining operations were controlled by the ''Societe des Mines d'Or de Kilo-Moto (SOKIMO)''. During the colonial era about 1.3 million ounces of gold were extracted from the Mongbwalu area. Soon after independence, in 1967 the government nationalized SOKIMO. Production quickly declined due to lack of investment and exploration, dropping to under 15,000 ounces per year.